Don't Let Me Fall
by Much About Nothing
Summary: When G.U.N. sets out on a deadly manhunt to eradicate the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow is forced to fight back. Little do they know that behind the scenes there is something more sinister happening. With danger roaming around every corner, GUN out of control, and Eggman missing, does he really have time to stray? [ShadAmy]
1. Dangerous Alliance

**Prologue**

Decades prior the foretold events there once lived a genius who devoted his life to help humanity— Professor Gerald Robotnik. He was responsible for a number of scientific discoveries that helped the world. But perhaps his greatest creation was that of the ultimate life form. With funding from the United Nations the professor began his experiments aboard the space colony ARK, hoping that the creation of the ultimate life form would help him find a cure for NIDS (Neuro-Immuno Deficiency Syndrome). The main motivation for this goal was his grandchild, Maria Robotnik, who suffered from the terminal disease.

After various failed attempts Robotnik finally succeeded in creating the ultimate being. However, seeing the potential for chaos and destruction that the doctor's creation possessed and the danger it posed for human kind, G.U.N. took extreme action and ambushed the space colony ARK in an effort to eradicate it. The soldiers were ordered to destroy 'Project Shadow' at any cost. In attempt they, instead, killed Maria—an innocent soul— and the notorious Project Shadow disappeared from the colony.

Fifty years passed until the ultimate life form reappeared, this time on planet Earth. Dr. Ivo Robotnik—better known as Dr. Eggman—, sought Project Shadow after reading about it in his diseased grandfather's diary. Eggman successfully infiltrated Prison Island, the location where the ultimate life form was being held in suspended animation, and awakened the creature. The ultimate life form was a dark hedgehog with red streaks named Shadow. Grateful, the hedgehog promised to grant him one wish if he brought all seven Chaos Emeralds to him at the Space Colony ARK. Eggman agreed, however, he knew nothing about the hedgehog's true intentions.

After succeeding in collecting six of the seven Chaos Emeralds, Shadow showed the mad doctor the power of a weapon capable of mass destruction— the Eclipse Cannon— which depended on the power of the emeralds to function. Eggman saw the weapon as a chance to force the government to surrender to him, thus giving way for the Eggman Empire. He fired the Eclipse Cannon at the moon to show the power he possessed and gave the United Nations twenty-four hours to surrender.

In an effort to stop Eggman and save Earth, the renowned Sonic Heroes confronted the evil doctor but failed and lost the final Chaos Emerald to him. Eggman used the final emerald to power-up the cannon, determined to continue with his evil plan; however, his plan backfired. Driven mad by the death of his granddaughter, the late Professor Robotnik had programmed for the ARK to set itself on a crash course to destroy Earth once the seven Chaos Emeralds were placed on the cannon, all in an attempt to avenge Maria's death. This did not work to Eggman's advantage; for he rationalized that he needed the world in order to conquer it. The Sonic Heroes tried to find a way to stop the space colony, but Shadow told the group that there was nothing that they could do to stop it. The dark hedgehog had been aware of what would happen once the seven Chaos Emeralds were placed on the canon, revealing his true motive. When all seemed lost, the pink hedgehog Amy Rose was able to stir an important memory inside Shadow's mind with her innocent and pure words, making him realize his dear friend did not want him to avenge her but to save and help humanity. With a newfound drive, the dark hedgehog then set out to help the others to somehow stop the ARK from destroying the planet.

Shadow's first mission consisted of destroying the prototype that would lead to him, the Biolizard, in order for Sonic and Knuckles to stop the Chaos Emeralds by neutralizing their power with the Master Emerald. The heroes were able to stop the ARK but the Biolizard used Chaos Control and merged with the space colony, setting it on a crash course once again. Fixed on saving the Earth, Sonic and Shadow harnessed the power of the Chaos Emeralds in order to stop the ARK from destroying the planet. With their combined strength, they defeated the Finalhazard and teleported the space colony to a safe location; however, Shadow had lost far too much energy during the battle and fell to Earth, leaving a single glove ring behind. Since then everyone presumed him dead…

A society hungry for technological and medical advancements gave birth to a strange and remarkable creature— a being with power beyond human comprehension. This creature, clearly far beyond its time, proved to be a great hero… as well as a threat to those who misunderstood its power.

* * *

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter One: Dangerous Alliance**

_1:08 pm – G.U.N. Headquarters _

Bright lights illuminated the corridors of the main building at G.U.N. headquarters. Various soldiers and workers observed as a man ran frantically with a stack of papers in his hands. The loud tapping of his shoes came to a stop as he bust open a door, "Sir!" The man entered the office and addressed the military officer that sat behind a desk with his back to him, "Sir! Sorry to interrupt but this is important!"

The man slowly turned, his bicolor eyes piercing through the soldier.

The unnamed soldier regained his composure and said in a solemn tone, "We've found him!"

"Found who?" the Commander inquired.

"Project Shadow," he responded laying a pile of papers on the desk.

Various pictures, statistics, coordinates, and documents laid motionless on the wooden surface until the dark man took them into his hands. His eyes moved quickly through the paper, reading the information and analyzing the documents. A malicious grin appeared on his face. They had, indeed, found Project Shadow. After a few minutes of silence the Commander's grin quickly disappeared after reading the information further, "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am sorry to inform you that although we've found Project Shadow, we cannot capture him due to unfortunate circumstances," the man stammered.

The grim man slammed his desk with his fist, "Why can't we do anything?" His temper rose, angered by the fact that after a year of search they had found the dangerous weapon and were not able to destroy it.

"The Space Colony ARK still contains functional weapons and I'm afraid trying to get close to it is risky with our current defense system. Before we can do anything we need to take into consideration the well-being of our soldiers and their safety. In order to take action we need better space crafts with stronger shields," the overtaken soldier responded.

"We are G.U.N., and you are telling me that we cannot build _anything_ capable of taking gunfire from ARK?" said the man, his dark voice sounding annoyed.

"Although we have the resources to build the new shield system, none of the engineers have been able to make a fully-functional shield for the space crafts," said the man with a gulp, scared to see the man's response.

The Commander furrowed his eyebrows in discontent, "I'm assuming you have a solution… or did you just come here to waste my time?!"

"There's one person who can help us, Sir," the worker answered.

The young man handed a second file to military officer which he quickly took. As he opened the file, his eyes came across the picture of an over-sized man with a messy mustache. He knew, at that moment, that it was a risky move. But he could not lose sight of Project Shadow for he believed that the good of the nation rested on his eradication. He had to get his hands on Shadow before he was once again used against his military and the United Nations.

The Commander released the file and placed his interlocked hands in front of his face, examining the situation. Turning to _him_ would prove to be a hassle; however, having the over-sized man on the same side could prove to be effective. It would also eliminate the competition for his target. His dark eyes remained on the photograph, "Bring him to me."

* * *

_1:16 pm - Station Square Downtown_

The sun shone in the blue sky and the wind blew gently through Station Square. The sound of cars, people walking on the streets, and the sigh of a certain pink hedgehog were all part of the dazzling city.

Amy's arms rested on a small table in an ice cream shop. She gazed up at the sky outside as she ate her giant cup of ice cream; the empty rim of glass that surrounded her was lacking company and caused all but a sigh to escape her lips a second time. She dipped her spoon into the cold dessert and then scooped a bit of melting chocolate ice cream into her mouth. Solitude never really was a lovely thing. More than anything, Amy Rose felt herself craving company— in particular, a certain male's company.

_'If only Sonic would go out with me, I'm sure he would be enjoying himself,'_ thought the small girl as her spoon made its way to her mouth again. A scream was heard in the corner of the avenue, interrupting her thoughts. Emerald eyes trailed to the scene where she saw a woman being attacked by a robot, _'A robot? Wait... it must be Eggman!' _She jumped from her seat, ran out of the shop and to the dame in distress. She pulled out her Piko-Piko hammer proceeding to smash the robot; an all-out success!

"Thank you!" the lady stammered, quickly and surprisingly regaining her composure.

"You're welcome!" Amy happily splattered, smiling cheerfully. The woman scurried off along with other passer-bys in the lane as more robots appeared on the streets. The girl's smiled quickly vanished, only to be replaced by a self-assured smirk, "It's time to work!"

The rose hedgehog ran around the city smashing robots as they appeared. She got rid of a number of metallic henchmen, until two big armored ones appeared; one in front of her, the other one behind her. She tried running from side to side, but the two robots stopped her by extending their arms, making it so there was no way out. She jumped on top of one of them, and hit it as hard as she could on the head, only to find nothing happened to it. To her, however, was a different story. The hit was reflected and the force knocked her down, rendering her of her own movement temporarily. One of the robots took her in its metal grip, holding her tightly. Her attempts to hit it back were all in vain; every single whack she tried to deliver was only sent right back to her.

"Ugh!" the pink hedgehog cringed as the robot's grip got tighter. The pain of it all was just starting to catch up to her... There was a moment, a faint moment when it suddenly struck her that she was captured again; kidnapped, sentenced to a possible death. If she died right there, what would Sonic think—?

"Let her go!" a blue blur attacked both of the robots and destroyed them with ease. Amy flew out of the robot's metallic grip with the explosion. She was about to hit the floor but was caught by the one and only, Sonic the Hedgehog. The irony of the moment was priceless and the girl herself, in a state of minor infatuation, was flustered. "Don't try to take on what you can't handle!" the charming hedgehog said as he held her firmly in his arms.

That voice— that dreamy voice! Trying to find words to make up for her gap in thinking, the girl stuttered, "I- I-"

"There's no time to talk, Tails found Eggman's ship," the cerulean hedgehog put her down and started running south. The romantic moment in Amy's mind shattered. So much for an ice cream date...

"Should I go...?" she questioned herself in the middle of the road, disentangled robot parts stood to both sides of her. As overjoyed as Amy was to see him, she could not help but get the sad impression that he did not seem to care. He was ignoring her just like always; playing it cool, savvy, charismatic, and it was killing her on the inside. If maybe there was a way to impress him, to make him know that she was there, she would take that chance to steal his heart.

With sudden motivation upon these thoughts, she stood upright, grinning. "I'll prove myself to him!" she stated to herself, her smile widening. "Sonic Hedgehog, you will be mine!" she giggled and took off in her usual fashion; playing the role of just a girl crazily in love with danger himself; flirting with it and craving the action that would come from it.

* * *

_3:48 pm - Mystic Jungle_

The duo entered a mysterious jungle; the pink hedgehog far behind the blue hero. Both of them kept their eyes open for any traps as they ran through the jungle. There were exotic plants and flowers galore that decorated the marsh floor nicely; blossoms of all colors were seen, purples, pinks, reds, and mixed; it was all endearing to Amy. Many different trees had vines hanging from them and protected the little damp forest. Little sun made it through the canopy layer of the land, making it more shady than typical.

Overall, it was a peaceful place with only the sounds of bugs and birds heard. Sonic stopped running and began to walk slowly. He looked around the jungle and came to a halt. After being sure that he was clear, he pulled out a communicator. The rose hedgehog ran faster once he stopped, hoping that she would catch up to him. The male turned around and saw her running towards him; he narrowed his eyes and stared in disapproval.

"What are you doing here, Amy?" the blue hedgehog's voice sounded irritated. He did not notice her following him before, and was clearly surprised to see her.

The girl stopped dead in her tracks. "I came here to help you!" she declared, reassured of her actions; a determined smile was planted on her face.

"You can't be here," Sonic crossed his arms, "It's too dangerous for you!" The rose girl's expression changed to a frown at the sound of his words. Despite proving to be a skilled fighter in previous situations, her lack of experience stopped the hero from allowing her to join. His emerald eyes observed the unhappy girl and guilt struck his heart. He knew that she only meant good and how else would she obtain the much needed experience if he continued to stop her? "But now that you are here…" he let out a sigh and signaled the pink hedgehog to come close enough to hear the communicator he held in his hand.

"Thank you," emerald eyes smiled, happy to see his change of heart, and her heart jumped to see his actions; _'Perhaps he does care... in his own way!'_ she thought as she eagerly approached the male.

The blue hedgehog turned to the communicator, "Tails, can you hear me?" He nearly yelled into the speaker, there being nothing but static on the other end.

"L-Loud and clear!" the voice of a child replied, seeming a little overtaken. "A little bit too loud..." the two-tailed fox mumbled loud enough for them to hear. Amy giggled and the cerulean hedgehog just stared at her in vexation.

"We're at the location you told me," Sonic continued, looking around at his surroundings with sharp eyes. The foliage was beginning to clear in the dense jungle; those were the clear signs his friend had told him to look for.

"We?" the small fox inquired, puzzled by what the hedgehog said.

"Yes, Amy joined me not long ago," his emerald eyes moved to the pink hedgehog that was standing close to him.

"Okay..." there was silence for a moment, as if to indicate the hedgehog's best friend was in the process of thinking, "Eggman's base must be cloaked somewhere around that area. I'm passing by with the Tornado to make a scan and find the exact location."

"So where's Knuckles?" Amy asked noticing the lost partner. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles...were they not the usual trio?

"He'll be dropping by when Tails passes through here," Sonic declared and just as he stated those words, the Tornado appeared in the sky, dropping a red echidna as it passed by.

Knuckles glided to the ground and landed safely before them. "Alright, it's time to party!" he said as he punched the air, the rose hedgehog rolled her eyes.

"Alright guys," Tails called from the communicator, "the base is located three miles northwest of your current location."

"We're on it!" the three heroes responded and ran to the next location. The trio passed various threes and exotic plants on their way to the hidden base. They moved quickly, with the blue hero leading the way. After a few minutes of running, they stopped at a strange clearing and they assumed that it had to be Eggman's hidden base.

Sonic took the communicator into his hands once again and contacted the two-tailed fox, "Tails, we're here."

"Good. Knuckles and Amy," the static from the communicator was cut off again, "there are two cloaking devices hidden by the trees, they should look like metal disks; find them and destroy them. Sonic, when they find the devices you run inside the base and destroy the main control panel."

"Alright, let's do this!" Amy excitedly pulled out her Piko-Piko hammer and headed to the right side of the clearing and Knuckles took the left. Looking carefully for the device through the bushes and trees, her emerald eyes finally spotted the disk hidden in between the tree leaves. _'This is for you, Sonic!' _the pink hedgehog jumped and smashed the metal object as hard as she could, for a moment the base was seen, only to disappear again straight after.

The echidna saw the reaction and looked for the device faster. Once he found it, he smashed it against the floor and punched it. The base was revealed for good; it turning out to be a big airship, covered with red and black paint. It had many cannons, lasers, and other weapons. The traditional Eggman logo was stamped over the red paint at the front of the ship. Sonic ran inside the base, Knuckles and Amy trailed behind.

_4:06 pm - Inside Eggman's Base_

The base was clear at first with no robots protecting it. During a typical raid, Eggman would give them a warm welcome by throwing some metallic fiends for them to battle, but this time, everything was empty and quiet; even to the point of desertion. The heroes noted this and moved slowly through the base, awaiting a trap at every corner.

The base had strange machines in every room and hall. There were also dozens of doors that led further inside. The trio decided to take one of the many doors and headed in, but as soon as they entered the door closed shut and robots appeared. The triad fought the robots with ease and as soon as they defeated them another door inside the room opened. They took the new door and once again got attacked by robots. As they walked further inside the base every door that opened held a new attack from another group of 'bots. The three worked their way through by destroying the metallic henchmen and advancing to the next door; a typical and repeated routine. Sonic always advanced first and stood in front of the three, making sure everything was safe for them to continue further inside. The battle was no struggle whatsoever; all the robots were weak and beaten with little effort on the three's part.

"I don't like this, Eggman must be planning something," Sonic remarked as he got spun into a beetle.

"I agree, Eggman would've sent the big baddies after us by now," Knuckles replied as he smashed another beetle against the floor.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Amy inquired innocently as she smashed yet another beetle with her oversized hammer.

"There's only one way to find out," the cerulean hedgehog affirmed eagerly, beginning to walk through the newly opened door, "We need to find the control panel, he must be there waiting for us!"

Knuckles and Amy nodded, as they stalked the egotistic hero's lead. They passed through ten more doors before finally reaching the control panel. They expected Eggman to be there and tell them it was a trap of some sort, but he wasn't there. They searched the room but no one was there— Robotnik was missing!

"What's going on?" Sonic said as he ran out the door and searched the whole base for the crazed doctor. He found some scatted robot parts through some doors they hadn't walked through, causing him to wonder what had happened there before their arrival. He returned to the control panel, where Amy and Knuckles were waiting for him.

"Eggman is nowhere to be found," the pink hedgehog announced as she took a seat on the main chair of the control panel. She started typing in some random things out of idle boredom and started switching through the screens that showed everything around, in, and out of the ship. There were no signs of the mad scientist anywhere in the ship.

"Do you think he wants to trap us inside here and make the ship explode?" an indifferent question, the blue hedgehog tapped his foot impatiently.

"I don't think so," Amy answered as she searched through the controls of the ship, "The security is down to minimal and I don't see any other traps here."

"Why would he attack the city and then run away?" the red echidna asked as he sat on top of a machine.

"He was probably scared that I would kick his butt again," the cerulean hedgehog boasted with a smirk on his face.

"I found something!" Amy squealed; Sonic and Knuckles switched their attention to the screens. "This was taken one hour ago," she pressed a button to reveal the past events inside the ship.

Eggman was sitting on the main chair of the control room, picking his nose without a care in the world; the three assumed he was possibly waiting for Sonic to arrive. Suddenly he saw something on the screen; an array of troops that were surrounding the ship. He started typing some buttons in the control panel, firing some lasers. However, the troops successfully dodged them and placed a metallic object on the ship which stopped the cloaking devices and lasers. The men made their way inside the ship. Seeing this, Eggman sent big robots after them but the soldiers eliminated them easily.

"Seems Eggman is losing his touch," Sonic retorted as he watched the troops destroy the robots with ease.

They walked through the metallic doors, eliminating everything in their paths and proceeding further inside. When they finally made it to the control panel, Robotnik tried to escape, but they stopped him before he could approach his carrier. One of the soldiers looked around the room and spotted a camera recording the events. He shot the object and everything turned to static.

"That's the end of it," the small girl reported as she replayed the video.

"Stop it right there, Amy." Sonic pointed at the soldier that had shot the camera, "You see that? It's them..."

* * *

_4:06 pm – G.U.N. Headquarters _

"What do you want from me?" Eggman yelled at the soldiers behind him in anger, "Haven't you had enough from me by stealing _my_ blueprints to build some of your robots?!"

"And were appreciate those _contributions_, Doctor," a tall man with dark skin replied sarcastically, walking inside the room.

"Commander...!" the over-sized man looked at the military officer angrily, his black specks darkening as he spoke once again, "What's your business with me?"

"Did you already forget your recent attack in Station Square?" the tall man pulled a chair from across the empty table that separated the opposing powers and sat down, "You are under arrest, Doctor. However, I do have a proposition for you." He put his hands together and continued, "There's something I want but I cannot get. It is unfortunate, but I need your help."

"And how does that benefit me?" Eggman's tone of voice did not change.

Silence took over the room and a few seconds passed before the Commander signaled for the soldiers to leave. He waited for the men to exit the room and then spoke, "If you help me with this goal I'll let you free of any charges you have. You will be able to, for the first time in a long time Doctor, live amongst everyone as a civilian without fear of prosecution. "

The egg shaped man turned his head to one side and retorted, "I have no interest to live as a civilian."

The malicious man laughed briefly and then answered dryly, "I assumed as much… In that case, how would you like to have access to our technological resources— temporarily of course— but I'm sure a genius like yourself only needs a brief moment to take advantage of good materials."

The disproportionate man knew G.U.N. would put him in a high security jail if he continued to oppose their proposals. He thought about the offer and a grin appeared on his face. After countless raids, recycling his materials became problematic and at times the scraps were not good enough to work with— it did not sound bad at all. A shine reflected off his specks, "And what do I have to do exactly?"

The Commander avoided the topic of Project Shadow and instead told him about the shields, "We need a new defense system for our space crafts, capable of taking laser and bullet fire that is long-lasting and that will not have any adverse effects on the ships themselves. We also need your help working on a special project, but we will talk about that later. What's your answer, Doctor?"

"Hmm…?" the genius curiously inquired, knowing there was more to what the man was letting on to. The puzzling lack of information intrigued him… _It had to be that!_ An evil grin made his way to his face and he answered, "I see. Well, what if you don't do what you promised me?"

"Only time will tell," said the man in a dark tone.

The egg-shaped man thought about the offer; there was only so much they could limit him to! If they wanted their new technology some of their resources would make his way to him eventually. Once he had enough materials— "You got a deal," he answered. His dark glasses revealed a small shine once again, reflecting his brain at work.

* * *

_Next Day: 5:23 am - Space Colony ARK_

The sun appeared on the horizon of Earth, the warm oranges and yellows made the cool blues and greens stand out. Even though the sun was out the stars could still be seen around the ARK. In space, it was impossible to tell day from night because the stars would always be around and the sun would never disappear from sight.

Shadow the Hedgehog stared at the beautiful and picturesque sight outside the ARK. He felt at peace and relaxed; everything was quiet and no one was around. He had chosen a life of solitude because he believed the world was better off without him.

After fighting alongside Sonic and defeating the Finalhazard he had fallen to Earth and got lost in a jungle. Luckily, after a few days he found the green Chaos Emerald, which had apparently also fallen to Earth as well. He used the jewel to warp back to the ARK and had since lived aboard it. He stayed there living each day alone, rarely warping back to earth to look around and explore.

The ebony hedgehog recalled parts of his past such as losing his friend, Maria, and spending time with her. He remembered the things they did together; the times they laughed and the times they cried. He could still remember the pain he felt when he saw her die and the anger that almost drove him to insanity. A sigh escaped his lips before he continued thinking about the events that took place fifty years after her death. He was going to avenge his friend but thanks to a certain pink hedgehog the final memory inside of him revealed that Maria did not want him to avenge her, but to give the people on Earth a chance to be happy.

The dark hedgehog smiled to himself, _'Maria was a very kind person...' _He still missed her, every day without her was eternal itself. Long hours, long minutes, long seconds; every day had no end. He knew he was the Ultimate Life Form, but at what cost? Losing his best friend and living his eternal life without her... that was the cost of his immortality.

The male still observed the sun in the horizon of Earth, it being a breathtaking sight. Suddenly, he saw a space ship coming towards the space colony. Two more appeared, then three... then four. Getting suspicious, he continued to watch until the ships got close enough for him to read the acronym 'G.U.N.' stretched on the side of them. As the ships grew closer the communicators from the ARK picked up the signal from the G.U.N.'s ships. The speakers played a message asking for his surrender. The dark hedgehog's eyes widened in disbelief and then narrowed in anger.

Shadow skated to the control panel of the ARK. He typed and pushed a series of buttons to reveal the defense weapons and attempted to fire lasers at the coming invaders. However, the ships continued heading his way. He zoomed in to see his targets closer and realized that they had strong shields protecting them from the lasers, making the attack a near mockery on his part.

The ebony hedgehog almost lost his footing as the ARK began to shake; it was becoming increasingly obvious that they were attacking the ship from the outside. The space colony no longer had any defense shields since the Finalhazard incident causing the hedgehog to be, on the most part, doomed.

The dark hedgehog skated out of the control panel and headed to one of the ARK's rooms. Inside the room, the green Chaos Emerald was resting on a pillow. The colony continued shaking with the attacks and steps could be heard outside the room. A group of G.U.N. soldiers infiltrated the base and knocked down the door to the room he was in and began shooting at Shadow; he, however, easily dodged the bullets by chaos controlling around the room. He appeared above in the air from where the soldiers stood and kicked them out of the way. He then left the room and skated through the halls. On his way to the control room he got rid of a number of soldiers that attempted to kill him. When he thought he had gotten rid of all the cronies and all was safe, he heard a robotic voice coming from the ship:

"Self-destruct sequence starting: 30 seconds until self-destruction."

"Damn it all!" growled Shadow. Without enough time to save the colony, he took the Chaos Emerald firmly in his hand and made a critical decision— leaving part of his past behind forever. His eyes narrowed as he took a last look around the space colony, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

G.U.N. ships remained outside as the ARK exploded shaking everything around it. The space crafts protected themselves against the explosion using the new shield system, taking little damage. Inside a soldier talked to a communicator, "Sir, we believe Project Shadow has warped out of the ARK."

Back at the G.U.N. headquarters the Commander grinned. The mission was a success! It was all going according to plan.

Meanwhile Shadow headed to Earth, hoping to find a place to hide from G.U.N. and plan a counter attack. Little did he know that he was heading right for their trap.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Sonic characters/universe, they belong to their respective owners Sega/Sonic Team, etc.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading the first chapter of _Don't Let Me Fall_; this story takes place after _Sonic Adventure 2_ but it is completely irrelevant to _Shadow the Hedgehog_. The story is going to contain future chapters related to the pairing of Shadow and Amy (ShadAmy). If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions feel free to review the story. Every review is greatly appreciated!

I would also like to dedicate a very special thanks to Miss Inadequate, who helped me edit the chapter and gave me good suggestions.

**Chapter 2 Preview: Unwanted Help**

With the ARK destroyed, Shadow has no choice but to flee to Earth. While there he encounters the Sonic Heroes, who offer him lending hand. Amidst the unwanted gathering, G.U.N. launches a surprise attack and the heroes find themselves in a tough situation. Finally, due to unprecedented circumstances, Shadow finds himself running from G.U.N. with a pink companion.

_Until Next Time!_


	2. Unwanted Help

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter Two: Unwanted Help**

_2:38 pm - Amy's House_

The sun shone brightly and the wind blew gently through the city of Station Square. Fluffy clouds hovered above in the immense blue sky which seemed to have no end, yet her vivid emerald eyes explored every inch of it.

"It's a perfect day for a picnic!" the voice of a female exclaimed from a balcony.

Amy Rose, a thirteen year old hedgehog, lived every day to the fullest; whether she was sad or angry, she always looked at the bright side of things. Her energetic and cheerful personality was something to envy; however, just like any other living creature she had flaws. She was also naïve and stubborn, and this was noticed by all of her friends— including her love interest, Sonic.

Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog, the renowned blue hero. The young girl had been infatuated with him ever since she had met him. But he never had— or never showed— similar feelings towards her. Did he see her as something else or just a friend? Perhaps it was a dying dream and she had to give up trying to catch her 'Blue Prince'. But it was easier said than done for her stubbornness would not let her and her naive mind did not want to give up the chance of what-could-be. She wanted him and did not plan on giving up any time soon!

However, at such a young age the matters of the heart were still hard and tricky for Amy to understand. There would be occasions in which she found herself daydreaming; thinking of a perfect partner. And even though Sonic popped into her head more than once and she allowed herself to get carried off into girlish fantasies, there was something else beyond that blue blur. A special someone that would care for her and love her for who she was, including her flaws, and that was something Sonic could never do. But was someone like that out there waiting for her?

The teen smiled and decided to head inside. Her apartment certainly reflected her lively personality; the overly pink household held colorful furniture, stuffed animals laid on her bed and a portrait of her hero laid on a table besides it. Her kitchen was huge and it contained countless types of pans and cooking utensils; that was her other passion, cooking. She was a master of the culinary arts and no one could resist her delectable meals. That day she had a special meal ready for she was about to head out on a picnic with her friends.

The pink hedgehog walked inside her room and grabbed a red Sunday hat with a white ribbon and pink flower decorations from her vanity. She put it on and then looked at her reflection in the mirror. With a big smile on her face she exclaimed happily, "Perfect!"

Once ready to head out, she walked out of her room and picked up a basket that was on her kitchen table. She checked the contents of the container once before reaching for the door handle of her apartment door and walking out. With a bounce on her step and a happy tune, she headed to Green Park.

* * *

_3:04 pm – Station Square Outskirts_

Hours had passed since the G.U.N. forces had destroyed the ARK and forced Shadow the Hedgehog to escape to Earth. Despite the aggressiveness of the attack, G.U.N. remained silent after the chaotic event— perhaps waiting for their target to reveal itself without the means for a search from their part. Whatever the case, the Ultimate Life Form weighted his options soon after arriving to Earth. After analyzing the situation carefully he set a clear goal— he wanted to find a certain egg-shaped ally to aid his counterattack.

With that in mind, Shadow had been skating around the world for hours searching thick jungles and metallic junkyards for Doctor Eggman— whom he was certain would aid because their old alliance and mere hatred for the same organization. _'After all, an enemy of my enemy is my friend,' _he thought as he continued to search his surroundings. However, much to his disgrace he had no luck finding the mad scientist.

"Where could he be?" the dark hedgehog asked himself silently. Then, his ruby eyes caught the skyline of the city of Station Square far on the horizon. "Perhaps I can find something that can lead me to the Doctor there…" he said resolved.

The ebony hedgehog increased his skating speed until he was nothing but a black blur and wild breeze and headed to Station Square. Once in the city, instead of taking the sidewalks he jumped on top of a building nearby and continued his journey jumping from rooftop to rooftop, avoiding observers' eyes. And although he had been searching for hours, his body did not show any signs of fatigue; his breath was calm and steady as he easily jumped from place to place, object to object, in the concrete jungle.

* * *

_3:15 pm - Green Park_

Green Park was a lively place full of trees, flowers, and small birds. The feel of the park was peaceful and quiet, perfect to relax with friends. There were plenty of clearings under trees appropriate for setting up a picnic, as well as various picnic tables ready for use.

"Green Park— the best park in station square!" Tails exclaimed as he walked inside the vivid park with his blue friend. "Not only is it the cleanest and most appropriate place for a picnic, but it's also a peaceful place where you can relax and enjoy the sun!"

"Tails," Sonic raised his eyebrow and frowned, "you sound like one of those commercials on TV!"

"I'm sorry, Sonic," the small fox smiled weakly, "I'm just excited about this!" And it was true, the heroes had worked hard the past months fighting baddies and stopping Eggman from achieving his evil plans. It was the first time, in a long time, that they finally had time to relax and sit back with the company of friends.

"Yeah, it's about time we took a break!" the blue hedgehog stretched his arms and yawned. His eyes turned to see the vast blue sky and then his stomach called, "I can't wait until I get my hands on some chili dogs!"

Blue orbs explored the park for the location of a familiar pink hedgehog. After walking deeper into the park the two best friends found Amy Rose sitting under a tree, waiting for their arrival.

"Look! Amy is here!" Tails pointed at the rose hedgehog's location. He ran towards her happily while waving to her, "Amy! We're here!"

The petite hedgehog spotted them and waved back, "Hey, guys!"

The cerulean hedgehog that accompanied the fox walked nonchalantly towards her; once before her he winked and grinned— his normal hero pose. "'Sup Amy?" he asked coolly.

"Hi, Sonic," Amy felt her heart skip a beat and she could not help but smile, "I'm setting everything up."

"Let me help with that," said the blue hedgehog as he took the basket into his hands. With a burst of speed he set everything in perfect order on the table cloth.

"Thank you, Sonic!" Amy beamed, that was her hero!

"No problem!" he gave her an 'ok' hand sign and a bright grin.

The two-tailed fox examined all the delectable food and then noticed a clean plate— "Hey!" Tails frowned, "Where are all the chili dogs?"

"And that's when the magician makes his disappearing act!" Sonic said and then ran away from his friends who attempted to get their hands on him.

The trio ran through the park happily— it was times like those that made them forget about saving the world and their worries. However, much to their disgrace the world would soon be in need of saving once more.

The wind blew wildly for a moment and took Amy's hat with it. "Hey! That's my favorite hat!" she said as she ran after the hat. The wind continued to carry it, taking it further and further away from her. Once she saw an opportunity to catch it, she jumped in the air and reached for it—

* * *

_3:26 pm – Station Square_

Shadow slowed down as he explored the city a second time trying to find clues that would lead him to Doctor Eggman; after all, the city was usually his main target and it was probable he could find something linking the two. He took precaution so that the citizens would not see him as he continued his mission.

Crimson eyes moved carefully and sharply exploring their surroundings until—"What the—?" grunted the ebony hedgehog once a red object covered his eyes.

"Hey! That's my favorite hat!" a female voice cried out before jumping in the air attempting to catch the object.

Acting only on his reflexes, Shadow caught a petite hedgehog by the waist while maintaining his balance. His feet stood solid on the ground of a steep hill and his body was rigid, keeping him from falling back.

The girl took the hat into her hands and then noticed the hands around her waist, suddenly realizing her position. She felt her cheeks flush a little, thinking that it was Sonic who was holding her. Then she slowly moved the object away from whom she believed was the blue hero and realized it was— "Shadow…!" she said stunned and dumbfounded.

The black and red hedgehog stared at her blankly for a second. If his memory served him right she was the pink hedgehog who he had seen at Prison Island and then aboard the space colony ARK. He looked at her emerald eyes and recalled her name, "Amy Rose…?"

A smile spread across the teen's face and she beamed, "It's really you!" The ebony hedgehog placed the young girl on the ground and then she began to examine him from head to toe, her thumb and index fingers on her chin. It was no doubt that the individual that stood before her was Shadow the Hedgehog; he had survived! "I'm glad to see you are okay!" she finally said after inspecting him, "After Sonic returned from fighting the Finalhazard everyone was very sad to not see you as well. When Sonic told us that you had fallen to Earth… we thought that you had—"

"Died," Shadow completed the sentence abruptly and bluntly. It seemed reasonable for everyone to believe he had fallen to his death. And although he did not find the suspicions of his death offensive, Amy's gaze dropped to the ground— as if she was ashamed to look at him for believing the worst case scenario. He grew puzzled and intrigued by her naïve, yet innocent, reaction. Emerald eyes trailed from the ground to him apologetically. Unsure of what to tell her to assure her it was fine he simply said, "It's understandable."

After a small quiet break, the rose hedgehog stated, "I'm happy to see that you are alive and well." Then her eyes brightened as she added, "I wouldn't want any one of my _friends_ to get hurt!"

'_Friend…?'_ the dark hedgehog noted in his head, taken aback by the comment.

"Hey, Ames…!" called a familiar voice before trailing off. Sonic now stood behind Amy, his emerald eyes locked on his dark counterpart. Certain that the hedgehog before him was non-other than Shadow, he grew content but kept his cool. A simple grin spread across his face as he thought, _'I knew you'd make it!'_

"I see the faker is here as well," Shadow remarked coldly.

"It's nice to see you too," the hero replied coolly.

A cool breeze blew gently through the park and the soft green grass moved along with it. Both males kept their gaze on one another— ruby orbs locked with emerald, building tension. Although both no longer considered the other an enemy, their strong rivalry was not forgotten. The mix of mutual respect and strong passion for competition produced an addictive kind of adrenaline rush that only they understood. After a few seconds of silence a grin made its way to the ebony hedgehog's face— a sign that perhaps he saw the cerulean hedgehog as a friendly rival… _maybe even a friend_.

"Hey, Shadow…" Amy addressed the dark hedgehog, breaking the silence and the competitive tension, "What happened after you fell to Earth?"

Shadow snapped back to reality and his crimson eyes traveled to the rose girl before him. A rush of memories flashed in his head, from the moment he had fallen to Earth to G.U.N.'s aggressive attack— _'The attack…'_ he thought annoyed, realizing that he was wasting time. "I don't have time to answer questions," he replied solemnly. Determined to continue on his quest to find Dr. Eggman, he turned around and got ready to walk away.

"G.U.N. is after you again," Sonic stated in a dark tone getting his dark counterpart's attention, "Isn't that right?" The ebony hedgehog turned to see the hero and narrowed his eyes. Seeing the reaction, the cerulean hedgehog continued, "We saw them come after Eggman yesterday and now you're back. What else could it mean?"

Shadow crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought, _'So they took Dr. Eggman? I see G.U.N. had anticipated I would turn to him. They're trying to corner me by blocking all my possible moves...!'_

Sonic was not sure why G.U.N. was after the ebony hedgehog, but he was willing to lend a helping hand, "Shadow, if you need—"

"No," the dark hedgehog answered rigidly, cutting the hero off. Without any more words to say to the hero, he turned around and began to skate down the hill.

The cerulean hedgehog saw him go and sighed; there really was no changing his mind. However, he was certain that Shadow was capable of taking care of his own and did not worry. _'Besides,_' he thought,_ 'if anything serious happens, I'm sure we'll soon be involved as well.'_

In the meantime, Amy watched Shadow go silently unsure if letting him go face a great danger alone was the right decision. She shook her head and said resolved, "We have to do something!" With that said, she ran after the dark male and called out, "Wait! Sha—" Then suddenly, without warning, the pink girl tripped over an invisible object and rolled down the hill. She landed at the bottom with a huff on her rump slightly stunned, while her hat fell behind her. "What was that?" she asked herself annoyed as she rubbed her lower back.

From atop the hill Sonic watched a metallic fiend appear from hiding and expose a concealed weapon. "Amy!" he exclaimed warningly.

At the bottom, green orbs spotted a saucer-like robot with the numbers 05 painted on its body— a G.U.N. Beetle model— with a gun, ready to shoot. "Ahh!" the pink hedgehog screamed, getting up in a hurry and dodging the incoming bullets.

Seeing his friend in danger the blue hero ran down the hill, jumped in the air, and spin-jumped, landing on the Beetle and destroying it completely. Metallic pieces fell on the floor below and sparks came out of the rubbish. He then slid down the rest of the hill and headed down to see his friend. "Are you okay?" he asked once he stood before her.

"Yes…" Amy responded a bit shaken-up then asked vexed, "Where did that thing come from?"

"They must have followed me," responded Shadow who was then standing still with his arms crossed a few meters away from them. His ruby eyes moved quickly and carefully through the terrain, trying to spot any more enemies. "You should leave," he continued darkly, "before any more arrive."

"But Shadow—" the rose hedgehog insisted innocently.

Ebony ears twitched at the sound of faint buzzing around them— it was too late! More G.U.N. robots, of various models, appeared around them. They had been camouflaged perfectly into their surroundings making it impossible for anyone, even the Ultimate Life Form, to detect them. "Damn it!" the dark hedgehog snarled.

The wind blew hard and shook the leaves of the trees around them. The rustling of the foliage mixed with the faint buzzing of the metallic soldiers and created an ominous sound. The trio could sense the danger and tension of an upcoming battle and they took their battle stances. The robots, seeing the destruction of the beetle as hostility from their part, began to shoot without warning. The trio jumped out of the way of the incoming bullets and then went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, away from their location, Tails sat under their designed picnic tree and yawned. He looked around the park, tilted his head, and said to himself, "I wonder where Sonic and Amy went."

Then the young fox looked at the food on the checkered mantel and heard his stomach growl at the sight of it, "I'm really hungry but I don't want to start without them." His blue orbs locked on the food longingly, "But then again… Sonic already ate the chili dogs. I don't think they will mind if I start without them."

Just as the two-tailed fox reached for a triangle-shaped sandwich he heard bullets being fired somewhere in the park and quickly rose to his feet, "Oh no! Sonic, Amy! They must be in danger!"

Tails ran towards the direction the baleful sounds came from, which led him to a steep hill. At the bottom he spotted various robots attacking Sonic, Amy, and— "Shadow?" he exclaimed surprised.

But before young hero was able to question why the infamous hedgehog was with his friends, watchful ocean eyes observed the enemies carefully and noticed that the robot models that were attacking his friends belonged to none other than G.U.N. "What's going on here…?" he questioned perplexed.

Thinking quickly, Tails brought up his wrist and clicked a button on a watch-like object with a square screen. From a series of options he chose the radar to see if there were any more incoming enemies. The small screen flashed with different colored dots, some red and many blue. "This is bad," he said as he analyzed the information— the blue dots meant that the enemies were coming by air. His bright eyes moved to the battle terrain as he said, "They can handle things by land, if I get the Tornado I can take care of the enemies in the sky!" With those words he turned around and ran away from the park and to his workshop.

On the battle field, Shadow jumped in the air and spin-jumped, heading towards a Laser Hunter—a tall, white humanoid robot with a number 02 painted on its body. He stunned the robot and then used his Chaos Spears to destroy it completely. The robotic humanoid blew up and metal pieces landed everywhere. He then jumped out of the way as Gun Hunters began to shoot at him from behind.

In the meantime, Sonic ran to the right and rolled into a ball, he then jumped on a number of Beetles and destroyed them in succession without breaking a sweat. After getting rid of the robotic fiends, he landed gingerly on his feet and looked back just to find an LZ-1 Trooper and two Gun Hunters behind him. The two white humanoids stood in front of the larger, LZ-1— a camouflaged colored robot, with heavy armor, and a bazooka.

Far to the left of the blue hero, Amy Rose pulled out her Piko Piko hammer from thin air and headed towards a Rhino series model. She swung her heavy hammer horizontally, stunning the blocky tank-like robot. She then swung her hammer once again, this time with more force, and destroyed the robot successfully.

Knowing that there were more enemies around, the pink hedgehog turned to see another Rhino model, surrounded by regular Beetles. She followed the same procedure as before with the other Rhino and, once again, destroyed her enemy. As the beetles began to crowd around her, she spun around on her heel with her hammer firmly on her hands and away from her body. Then she sent the Beetles against one another in a circle with incredible force. The sound of clunking metal was ended by an explosion. Scorched metal fell to the ground around her and a cloud of smoke surrounded her.

The thick black blanket made the rose hedgehog cough and she momentarily let her guard down. During that time a Mono Hawk—a simple robot with two cylinder-shaped engines and capable of flight— took the opportunity to fly down and head towards her. The robotic fiend drew a metallic claw from its weapon compartment and gripped it around her arms and waist, capturing her and yielding her unable to use her hammer.

Amy struggled in the metal claw, trying to break free while the robot took her higher into the air. "What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed angrily.

On the ground, Sonic saw this and tried to run after the Mono Hawk; however, the aforementioned LZ-1 Trooper launched a repetitive missile attack at him. He ran away from the robot and dodged the missiles which landed close to him and blew up as they made contact with the ground. Dirt and grass flew in the air and then came back down violently after the explosions.

As the cerulean hedgehog continued to dodge the aggressive attacks, his emerald orbs watched the Mono Hawk as it flew higher into the sky with his friend on its grip. Determined to rescue her, he turned sharply in his tracks and tried to head back, however, the Gun Hunters took that chance to fire at him directly while the Trooper loaded more missiles.

The hero was then forced to jump back, dodging the bullets in the process. His eyes continued to watch the enemy in the sky. Out of frustration and worry he cried out, "Amy!"

Further away, Shadow destroyed the last Gun Hunter after him and heard the blue hero shout. He turned to see the Mono Hawk in the air and with an annoyed growl he headed after it. He moved swiftly through the land with his eyes locked on the enemy and the captive female.

"Let me go!" screamed the young girl as she moved violently in the robots grip, this time shaking it with her movement. Once she saw that she was beginning to overpower the robot, she continued to trash about and even began to kick her capturer as well. Soon, sparks came out the machine and it began to malfunction, releasing its grip on the girl in the process.

However, Amy had not foreseen the height she was at before attempting to escape. And as the robot relinquished her, she looked down and let out a girlish scream. She closed her eyes tightly and released her hammer, which then vanished into thin air as she fell.

Back on the ground the ebony hedgehog observed this and sped up— trying to find the best position to catch the pink hedgehog before she hit the ground. Once he calculated the spot where she would land, he jumped high in the air and reached out with both his arms to catch her.

"You should have thought that through," Shadow said solemnly as he took her securely into his arms. The air traveled through their quills as they made their way to the ground. Without much effort, he landed lightly on his feet on the grassy ground.

The rose hedgehog opened her eyes slowly and gasped when she saw that her savior was none other than the infamous Shadow! Stunned but grateful she managed to say "Thank—" before she was interrupted by incoming gun fire.

"Those idiots don't seem to give up!" the dark hedgehog said irritated as he turned to see various enemies coming from behind them. With a quick burst of speed he headed towards a group of Beetles with the girl firmly in his arms. Once before them, he jumped in front of them and kicked the robot in the lead with great strength against the others, making them all blow up in the process. However, as soon as he got rid of those enemies Gun Hawks appeared ready to attack in the sky.

Shadow grinned maliciously— the robots were only small annoyances to him and he could get rid of them easily. He moved two of his fingers on his right hand, dictating a direction for his attack and exclaimed, "Chaos Spear!" Golden lights hit the flying objects, making them blow up. The rose girl closed her eyes as sparks and rubbish rained down upon them, while he remained unfazed.

The air carried the smell of smoke from the scraps of metal that lay on the floor, motionless, while wild sparks jumped from every circuit. After a few seconds Amy opened her eyes and witnessed the mess before them. Her green orbs explored the grassy, scorched ground, and then moved to the trees around them. They were no longer in Green Park and where at the entrance of a forest.

Ebony ears twitched at the sound of pounding steps heading towards them. The dark hedgehog focused his eyes on the horizon and spotted a squad of three LZ-1 Troopers with heavy artillery and a group of five G.U.N. soldiers heading towards them. Although small enemies such as the Gun Hawks and Beetles proved to be easy to beat with the handicap of the pink hedgehog in his arms, there was no doubt in his mind that the incoming enemies would not fall as easily.

The pink hedgehog looked up at the male that held her and noticed that his ruby eyes were concentrated on an area in the horizon. Curious to see what had grasped his attention, she turned her head and spotted the incoming threat. She gasped worriedly but then the dark hedgehog looked down at her and let out a quiet, "Shh!" She nodded slowly as a response, assuring him that she understood his command.

Shadow examined the situation and determined to ambush the G.U.N. soldiers to weaken the assault team; taking them on one by one offered him a greater chance of overcoming the enemy. However, in order to do it effectively he needed to hide somewhere to avoid being detected by the LZ-1 Troopers. He turned to see his surroundings; the wilderness around him gave him the upper hand. With his mind fixed on the plan, he quietly made his way behind a tree and kept his eyes sharp and focused as the enemy group made its way to the scorched remains of the previously destroyed robot units.

Amy watched the group of armed men quietly, for they were only a few meters away from them. Meanwhile, the ebony hedgehog measured the distance between the enemies and himself with his eyes, preparing to attack the soldiers with a Chaos Spear attack. He removed his left hand from under the female and positioned his right in a way to support and secure her properly. The rose girl felt the change in his body posture and grasp, and watched him confused—unaware of his plan.

A few quiet seconds passed before the dark hedgehog raised his arm in the air, his intentions growing clearer to the pink hedgehog. His on-set frown grew and he furrowed his brows in concentration. She watched his expression change and his eyes focus on the group of _human_ soldiers. Alarmed by this, she exclaimed impulsively, "Don't hurt them!"

Alarmed, the armed men heard the outburst and spotted the duo behind the tree. The heavy LZ-1 Troopers stood in stand-by while their screens identified the black, red streaked hedgehog as Project Shadow and a major threat, which required them to use maximum strength. Following their orders, which were to retreat or destroy Project Shadow, the G.U.N. soldiers raised their weapons and focused them their target. One of the soldiers pressed the side of his helmet and confirmed the location of Project Shadow and called for back-up, while another ordered one of the LZ-1 Troopers to launch a missile. The remaining soldiers watched as the rocket made its way to their target, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

Acting quickly, the dark hedgehog jumped out of the way of the incoming attack and ran from the explosion. The fiery detonation of the missile forcibly cleared the area and the resulting fire burned many trees around. Bits and pieces of scorched dirt and wood rained down upon the two hedgehogs; they were now in clear sight and at the mercy of the enemy.

Shadow watched the enemies intently and then looked down at the rose hedgehog. Irritated by the failure of the ambush he said to her sharply, "Why didn't you stay quiet?"

Hurt by the tone of voice Amy flinched and brought her hands up to her mouth, realizing she had put their lives in danger. However, she then recovered and answered defensively, "There's no need to hurt the soldiers!" Emerald eyes pleaded earnestly for him to reconsider his plan. She locked her green orbs with ruby and implored in a small voice, "Please don't kill them."

The request took the dark hedgehog by surprise—despite of the circumstances, the young girl cared for the lives of the enemy. Being an experienced fighter and strategist, he knew that his alternative would increase their chances for survival. However, while in her presence, her innocence and benevolence made his actions, though necessary for their survival, seem harsh and vicious. This, combined with her beseeching gaze, made his chest grow uncomfortable and his conscience guilty.

With their target out in the open, it did not take long for the assault squad and accompanying robots to open fire. They launched a full-on attack towards the Ultimate Life Form, and consequently the petite girl in his arms—interrupting their conversation.

In a split-second decision, Shadow summoned the green Chaos Emerald and held it firmly on his left hand. With a burst of light and the words of "Chaos Control" he disappeared from sight. The armed men were taken by surprise and tried to recollect themselves. They began to turn in place, attempting to locate Project Shadow. It was not long before they found him, his crimson orbs locked on them.

The dark hedgehog knew that with his current handicap he was no match for the G.U.N. forces. He had no choice but to withdraw from the battle. He furrowed his brows and tightened his grip on the emerald, discontent with the idea of retreating. However, as long as Amy was with him he had to avoid a head to head confrontation with any G.U.N. soldiers in order to avoid another outburst from her. As a response to her request, he then warped away once again—this time nowhere around the enemy.

Both hedgehogs reappeared away from the previous battle field and into the thick wilderness of the forest. Ruby orbs urged to find shelter, for the rest of the G.U.N. forces probably already had the area surrounded. He looked down at the petite girl in his arms; he had no choice but to keep running with her. In a firm, solemn tone he commanded, "Hold on to me."

The young girl followed orders and quickly wrapped her arms around Shadow's neck. As he got ready to run, he strengthened his arms around the rose hedgehog and pulled her close to his body, securing her. Then he pushed his body forward with his right leg and began to run. The light steps on the ground quickly turned to a smooth gliding motion on the grassy grown as he sped off deeper into the woods. He ran swiftly and silently, his eyes seeking a secluded place to hide while avoiding G.U.N. forces—confirming his prediction.

Before long he stopped in his tracks at the sight of a cave and walked towards it. The surroundings trees and foliage provided enough protection from being detected. The area also seemed to be the most free from G.U.N. soldiers, perhaps because it was a good distance away from where they had located him previously.

Once in front of the cave's entrance, the black hedgehog crouched down to let the pink girl in his arms down. She instinctively released her arms from around his neck and placed her feet down on the grassy floor. Once off, she turned slowly on her heel to examine her surroundings while the male walked inside the cave.

Shadow walked inside the cave slowly and carefully, making sure it wasn't occupied by a wild animal and that it was truly safe. Once certain that the shelter was secure, he walked to the entrance and signaled the rose hedgehog to come in. She simply nodded and entered the den, taking slow and careful steps as she walked further inside. As she made it half way in, she looked back at the entrance where the ebony hedgehog remained, keeping guard. Despite the circumstances, she felt safe because she did not believe him to be evil and trusted him.

The black and red streaked hedgehog felt her eyes on him and said solemnly, "I suggest that you sit down and rest. We don't know how long they're doing to be looking for us… and if we'll have to fight again."

Without an audible response, the pink hedgehog sat down on the cold cave floor with her knees close to her body. She looked back at the hedgehog once, before she wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her head on her knees. And so, they both stayed in the cave in complete silence.

* * *

_5:58 pm - Green Park_

The wild wind brought gray clouds to the afternoon sky, which began to overpower the light of the sunset. Meanwhile the hero duo, Sonic and Tails, remained in Green Park. Both stood in front of the tornado as they shouted, "Amy! Amy where are you?"

Metallic junk lay on the grass around them, the battle was over, and they had won. However, their pink friend was still missing and there were no signs Shadow as well.

The blue hedgehog continued to shout, running around the park this time, looking around for any traces of his friend. After a few minutes he came back to the tornado and said, "It's no use, she's not here."

"Do you really think the robot took her that far?" the two-tailed fox inquired.

"I don't doubt it," responded the cerulean hedgehog with his arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently.

"We could look for them from the sky," the young hero looked up at the darkening sky and continued, "but with this weather it'll be hard to spot them on the ground, especially if it starts raining." He then turned to see his blue friend and pointed out, "And even if we could, as everything stands right now, we'll only put them in even more danger. G.U.N. is already on the lookout, if they spot us trying to find them they'll surely follow in order to get to Shadow."

"Yeah and we don't want Amy to get caught in the cross fire," added Sonic quietly. His emerald orbs looked up at the sky, concerned for the pink girl.

The hero's concern was obvious to his young friend, as he too, grew worried about Amy's safety. However, the circumstances had them in a bind. Tails placed a gloved hand on the hero's shoulder and said, "I'm sure they'll find their way back once they're safe."

Sonic looked over his shoulder in order to see the two-tailed fox and nodded slowly. Assured everything was fine, his friend then took his hand off his shoulder and headed towards the Tornado. Meanwhile, the cerulean hedgehog watched the young hero get into the pilot's seat and then looked up at the sky. After a few seconds of quiet pondering, he walked slowly towards the blue and yellow plane and hesitantly got on the second seat.

'_Hang in there, Amy,'_ the hero thought as the plane took off.

* * *

_6:33 pm - Unknown Area_

Amy Rose walked out of the cold and dark cave that served as her temporary shelter and headed outside to take some fresh air. A sigh escaped her lips and then she turned to see her surroundings. All she could see were big trees and bushes, all of which were ominous-looking. But even as scary as her surroundings appeared, they helped seclude the cave which gave her a sense of security. Her emerald eyes trailed back to the den; it certainly was not cozy, but it had to do for the moment.

The pink hedgehog began to pace outside the entrance of the cave. With every step she took she counted the seconds that had passed since Shadow had left to look for dry wood. She looked up at the darkening sky and uttered to herself concerned, "He's been gone for a while, I wonder if he's okay."

Around forty-five minutes after their arrival at the cave, the ebony hedgehog began to notice the change in the weather. Noting that the cave was already cold and damp, he got up and told her that he would go to look for wood to start a fire. He then ordered her to stay inside the cave for her own safety and left without telling her anything else.

It had been twenty minutes since then and she was beginning to worry. She knew that G.U.N. soldiers would be on the lookout for anything unusual, and surely a dark blur would get their attention. Was it possible that perhaps they had captured him? Or maybe because of her earlier outburst he decided to abandon her?

"No!" Amy stopped dead on her tracks and shook her head, "I'm sure he'll be back!" After stating that she became more aware of her surrounding, realizing how defenseless she really was. Her ears twitched as she took in all the strange sounds of the forest. She could hear the crickets chirp and the rustling of the leaves clearly. A few seconds later she heard, or perhaps imagined, a howl somewhere deep in the forest. Scared she looked around and inquired timidly, "He will be back… right?" She grew even more scared with every second but attempted to shake it off by gently slapping her cheeks with her hands, "What am I thinking? He wouldn't leave me here by myself!"

The rose hedgehog continued to pace around impatiently, this time faster than before. After a few minutes her frantic pacing was interrupting by the rustling of the bushes nearby her. "What's that…?" she inquired as she slowly turned about to see the bushes behind her. The green foliage continued to shake and her imagination went wild with ideas of possible threats. She brought her arms up defensively and her emerald orbs began to quiver. The rustling then stopped without notice for a while, green orbs watched intently. After a few seconds of temporary relief, Amy felt her body relax and air make way into her chest. She let her guard down and allowed her arms to drop to her sides. With a deep sigh she assured herself it had been a false alarm, turned around, and continued to walk about.

In the meantime, a dark figure made its way out of the wilderness behind the teen. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk once she saw the shadow of the newcomer on the ground before her. In a state of panic she closed her eyes, summoned her hammer, and spun on her heel, striking the figure with a great amount of strength. She felt her over-sized hammer hit the mysterious foe, making him fall to the ground with a low thud.

"D-damn you!" exclaimed the angry voice of a male, coughing for air.

The sound of wood objects hitting the ground around her caught the pink hedgehog's attention. She opened her eyes and spotted Shadow the Hedgehog on the floor with his left hand on his stomach and gasping for air. Dumbfounded she blinked a few times and then noted astonished, "Shadow?"

Angry crimson orbs glared at the young girl and with his voice dripping with satire he exclaimed, "Who'd you expect, Sonic?"

"Hey!" the rose girl remarked angrily, taking offense to the comment.

"What the hell are you doing outside the cave anyway?" the ebony hedgehog remarked while attempting to stand up. With a knee on the ground and the other supporting his weight he continued to glare at the pink hedgehog, "I told you to stay inside."

The hammer disappeared from sight, its job accomplished, and afterwards Amy crossed her arms irritated—glaring back with the same level of anger, "You took so long I thought you had abandoned me!"

Finally picking himself up the dark hedgehog stood firmly on his legs and replied maliciously under his breath, "If I would have known you'd do this, I might as well have."

The pink female fumed, "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't left me alone!" With that statement she gave her back to him, her cheeks red and puffy with anger.

Shadow grinned at the sight of the childish tantrum—but he knew that Amy was right and because of this he chose not to reply. He then took in a deep breath and felt a slight jolt of pain in his stomach. She had actually caused him a minor injury, but he expected the soreness to not last long. However, he had to admit that she certainly had remarkable strength for her size and weight.

From over her shoulder the rose girl watched him catch his breath and felt her anger vanish—he had come back after all. The redness of her cheeks subdued and turned to a slight pink reflecting her embarrassment over her unpredictable behavior towards him. She hoped that she had not injured him and inquired worriedly, "Are you okay?"

In a cold tone Shadow replied, "I'm fine." Then, with a quick burst of speed he picked up the fallen wood and halted when he finished. With his arms full of firewood he walked towards the cave, passing the pink hedgehog along the way and leaving her behind.

Vivid emerald orbs locked on his back and grew troubled by his aloofness. The matter in which he had conducted himself by far in her presence had been cold, calculating, and distant—almost to the point of complete emotional withdrawal which was far too different from her own wild and unpredictable feelings. The lack of responsiveness from his part caused her to worry.

"Unless you want to get wet, I'll recommend you come inside," the dark hedgehog suggested solemnly, interrupting her thoughts.

Amy looked up at the dark sky above and felt a small raindrop fall on her check. The water droplet made its way down her face and fell on the ground where, like her thoughts, dispersed into something greater than itself.

* * *

_6:42 pm - Tails' Workshop_

The organized and neat lab, which worked as a second home for Tails, held various tables, computers, and mechanical ingenuities. It also contained a few homely items, such as a couch, a dinning set, and a bed located in a lone room at the back of the shop.

Tails was sitting at his work station which contained three monitors and his main computer, while Sonic sat on the couch not far from his friends' computer. Both heroes remained quiet, thinking over the previous events. The faint humming of the machines around them was the only thing that could be heard in the broad room.

"Why did G.U.N. attack you guys?" the young fox questioned, breaking the silence.

The blue hedgehog fixed his position on the couch and then responded, "Their main target was Shadow, Amy and I got caught in the cross fire."

"Shadow— I was meaning to ask about that," Tails said as he turned around in his chair to see his friend, "I didn't know he was alive."

"Neither did I," answered the cerulean hedgehog, "it was a surprise when we found him at Green Park."

"Did he tell you why G.U.N. is after him?" the two-tailed fox continued asking curiously.

"Not at all," Sonic replied, "he didn't say much about the matter."

Tails locked his blue orbs on the hero before turning to the computer behind him. After pressing a series of keys on it, the three monitors played the video containing the scene of G.U.N.'s confrontation with Eggman. "It could be possible that G.U.N. went after Eggman because they believed that he had Shadow under his possession," he said as a matter-of-factly, turning around to see the blue hedgehog again. "My question is: How did they know Shadow had survived…?" he pondered darkly.

"All this…" the hero said in a serious tone, "makes me feel uneasy."

"After the events of the ARK Shadow proved to have great power, it could be possible that G.U.N. saw this as a threat. I wouldn't be surprised if their main objective is to…" the small fox stopped and thought of the right words to describe G.U.N.'s goal, "dispose of him."

"This isn't good," Sonic crossed his arms and looked out the window. The clouds outside overwhelmed the orange twilight, darkening everything around; it was obvious that a storm was approaching. He then turned to see his friend and said, "If that's their objective, Amy is in great danger."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading chapter two! If you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, or just simply want to give me your opinion about the chapter, feel free to review. Feedback on the chapters, and the story overall, is greatly appreciated!

Thanks to: All my lovable readers and reviewers! I really appreciate and love the reviews.

**Chapter 3 Preview: The Double Agent**

While under G.U.N.'s mercy, Shadow and Amy are forced to hide together. But Shadow leaves the pink hedgehog by herself she is ambushed by G.U.N. soldiers. What will be her fate? And who is the person offering Shadow help with G.U.N.?

_Until Next Time!_


	3. The Double Agent

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter Three: The Double Agent**

_6:49 pm – G.U.N. Headquarters_

Round cameras with laser devices floated around a metallic room, quickly moving and scanning their surroundings for any heat signature. Around the corner of the room stood a young woman watching the cameras closely—waiting for the right time to act. She felt a cold rush of wind make way into her lungs as she took one last deep breath before charging into the room.

The sound of her white boots echoed as she ran through the room directing the attention of the cameras towards her. Without hesitation the cameras shot lasers at her but she dodged every hit gracefully. She then extended her wings and sprang up into the air; with a barrage of powerful kicks she destroyed the camera devices and landed back safely on the ground.

The scraps from the metallic enemies lay on the floor, and although the battle seemed over, she kept a fighting stance—her arms were in a defensive position while her legs were ready to strike on the offensive. Her chest moved up and down at a fast pace, she was evidently tired but her blue eyes were determined to destroy whatever came her way. Before long she heard faint buzzing coming from behind and spun around to kick the metallic object that was approaching her. The buzzing stopped as the object fell on the ground. Sparks jumped out of a G.U.N. beetle; its camera was now broken and the shattered glass was scattered on the cold metallic floor.

A faint grin formed on the female's face, she was content with her victory. Piles of scraps lay in every room she had been in, all tracing back to the metallic junk laying around her in the current room. Suddenly, bright lights illuminated the room making her cover her eyes and look down. Her ears twitched as she heard footsteps approaching her—someone was coming.

The door behind her then opened and revealed a G.U.N. soldier, "Agent Rouge, the General needs you."

"Tell him I'm busy," replied the bat girl annoyed. She then walked away and pressed a button on the wall of the cold room, which revealed a container with water and white towels.

"The General gave me strict orders to take you to him," the man said in a grave tone, "he has assigned you to an important mission."

Rouge grabbed a towel and cleaned her face before answering, "He always says every one of my missions is important. Tell him to get someone else—"

"It's about Project Shadow," the man interrupted, getting the bat's attention.

* * *

_10:25 pm - Unknown Area_

Rain poured down at a moderate and steady rate in the forest. The drenched leaves danced with the rain as the wind moved them gracefully and gently from their roots. The flowers around the area rejoiced, taking in the small droplets of water that made their way down their soft and colorful petals. Meanwhile the marshy ground absorbed the water that fell from the dark sky and overflowed, creating puddles of mud. In those puddles, ripples formed as the rainwater continued to make its way down.

The smell of wet dirt traveled through the secluded cave, a peaceful feeling accompanying it as it streamed by. Amy Rose sat down on the cold ground of the den with her hands wrapped around her knees and with her head held up high. Her emerald orbs explored the wonderful sight that was formed by the elements of nature outside the cave.

Meanwhile, the fire at the center of the cave cracked and burned. The flickering flames illuminated the petite hedgehog, who was sitting close to it for warmth. Her pink fur and cream skin glowed with the warm colors the flames produced and although the bubble of warmth cradled the girl, it could not reach the other individual present at the cave.

At the very back of the cave sat an ebony hedgehog with his eyes closed, his arms behind his head, and legs crossed—the fire barely illuminated his figure. He was very still, with only his chest heaving up and down with every breath he took. It looked like the male was sleeping, though that was not the case—he was fully aware of his surroundings and could hear the rain pouring outside but paid no mind to it. He preferred to sit alone and in complete silence.

The rose hedgehog turned away from the splendor of the night and to see her companion. Her emerald eyes locked on his figure for a few minutes, staring intently—hoping for some kind of interaction. But once Shadow felt her eyes upon him, he turned his head to one side and the frown on his face grew. After seeing his reaction her shoulders dropped and she let out a sigh. Nothing was going right: They were stuck in a cave in the middle of nowhere, G.U.N. agents were on the look out around the area and probably in the city—leaving them no where else to go. They were at the mercy of an enemy with infinite connections—and it was all her fault. The girl's earlier outburst defending the enemy had been the cause of their misfortune and probably the reason why the dark hedgehog favored silence over a conversation.

However, the pink hedgehog was convinced that she had done the right thing. She pleaded with all her heart for Shadow to stop the attack because she strongly believed in protecting the gift of life. And despite his current cold demeanor, a smile spread across her face because he had complied with her earlier request. She was thankful for his noble act, however, it dawned on her that she had never thanked him. With a refreshing burst of happiness she broke the silence in the cave and spoke with a sincere tone, "Thank you." Dark lids raised half-way and revealed ruby orbs beneath them. From the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of the rose hedgehog's smile as she continued, "I may not understand the reason why G.U.N. is after you, but I'm grateful that you spared the lives of those soldiers."

The black and red streaked hedgehog continued to watch her from afar; her smile and words had caught him by surprise and he was unsure of what to say. The truth was that, had it been his choice, he would have killed the soldiers. He did not understand why the young girl would protect the enemy; it went against every survival instinct. A quick jolt of unpleasant electricity then surged through his spine and made its way to his brain, leading to the sudden realization of Amy's position in the ordeal. She had been dragged into something unfamiliar and confusing; very foreign to what she was used to. Perhaps she did not fully understand the magnitude of the situation. This was no mere attack by the crazed Doctor Eggman that, to her and the rest of the Sonic Heroes, bordered on a field exercise. This was a manhunt, the deadly pursuit of an individual in which the final objective was the death of the target at any cost—and she was an innocent bystander that had gotten caught in the middle of the ordeal.

As a result from being wrapped up in his thoughts, Shadow's frown inadvertently disappeared as he turned to see the pink hedgehog. '_Taking into account __**her**__ situation…_' he thought while his scarlet orbs focused on her, '_maybe I was too hard on her._' He concluded, due to her actions, that she most likely had never taken the life of another individual… and with her views on the world perhaps she would never do so. Her earlier request meant much more to her than he had expected. There was no doubt that Amy was kind and caring, which he thought were good qualities. She had previously exhibited these attributes aboard the Space Colony ARK when she requested his assistance to save the world. Her plead in both instances made her _admirable_.

Finally, from a lack of words the dark hedgehog simply nodded slowly as a response to her gratitude. Content, the girl continued to smile and then turned away to watch the pouring rain, resuming her previous task. For a short moment he continued to watch her and realized that his impression of her became more favorable in the short period of time he had spent with her and as a result, he felt a stronger need to protect her. However, these feelings were not welcomed since he saw attachment to any individual as unnecessary. The ebony hedgehog then turned his head around, his eyes narrowed, and a frown made its way to his face once again. He needed to get her to safety soon, not only because he wanted her to be safe but because it would distance him from her.

Feeling the need to say something to interrupt his thoughts Shadow said to the young girl, "You should probably get some rest."

Amy turned to see him and then stared at him for a few seconds, his cold ruby orbs and solemn expression catching her attention. Being in the presence of the Ultimate Lifeform was intimidating to many, and yet, she felt strangely at ease with him. With a soft smile she nodded in agreement and said, "Goodnight." She removed her arms from around her knees and placed them on the cold ground, she then placed her legs close to her body for warmth.

Before long, the young girl fell deeply asleep and the dark hedgehog kept his guard up while she slept. He found himself focused on the young girl multiple times while she rested, lost in thought. Then, after twenty minutes, he stood up and moved closer to the fire, across from her. Although he was uncertain on what actions to take against G.U.N., he was certain that he needed to get the girl to safety first. As soon as the coast was clear, he was going to take her home and deal with G.U.N. himself.

Determined to act upon these plans, Shadow clenched his fists and decided to act. His crimson orbs locked on the girl one last time before walking out of the cave and into the storm that was brewing. He needed some fresh air to alleviate his thoughts and it was also the perfect time to check their surroundings. He turned to see the cave and placed some branches near the entrance to seclude it before disappearing into the night.

* * *

_Earlier 7:03 pm – G.U.N. Headquarters_

A number of screens on the walls of the main office at the G.U.N. headquarters illuminated the dim room. In every screen data with classified information was displayed; blue prints for new robots and weapons were amongst the information exhibited. Limitless numbers appeared on blue screens, research information about new technology, and damage predictions of massive weapons were displayed as well. However, in the main screen, which was located in front of the General's desk, was a map of Station Square and its surroundings. In it, two red dots flashed off and on. A man with a blue and golden eye sat in front of the many monitors, his attention was focused on the map, "We've found you, Shadow."

The General of G.U.N. was a powerful and ruthless man with the strongest army in the world under his control. He worked his soldiers hard and made sure they received the proper training that would prepare them to face any possible threat. And at that moment, the biggest threat to the world was Project Shadow, better known as Shadow the Hedgehog—a being with unbelievable power, a living weapon of mass destruction.

The General was determined to exterminate the ebony hedgehog before he could cause any massive damage or was used against the world once again—as he previously was by Doctor Eggman. To confront Project Shadow he summoned one of his best agents, Rouge the Bat, who had experience dealing with the Ultimate Lifeform.

A few minutes passed before the door of the main office opened, revealing a soldier and agent Rouge. The soldier addressed the General with a solemn voice, "Sir, Agent Rouge is here."

"Very well," responded the main behind the desk as he turned to face them, "you may go back to your position, corporal."

"Yes, sir," said the man as he walked out of the office, his job accomplished.

The white bat narrowed her eyes and faced the General, "I heard you found Shadow."

"That's right," replied the man with an evil grin on his face, "however, he is hiding at this moment and it is your mission to find him and bring him to the headquarters."

"What do you plan to do with him?" asked the bat woman in a firm tone.

The General solemnly replied, "That, is none of your concern."

"You have plenty of soldiers that can do this job," said Rouge in an annoyed tone, "So why me?"

The General turned back around and stared at the screens in his office, "You have previous experience dealing with him. If another agent from G.U.N. approached him then he would immediately run away… or kill them. However, if you talk to him and convince him that you are on his side… he may not put up much of a fight and may come willingly."

"You want me to deceive him in order to obtain your goal?" the young woman turned around and frowned, "If you want to obtain Shadow you will have to do it on your own, this isn't my problem."

The man's temper rose, "It is your problem as long as you work for us!"

"Get someone else to do your dirty work!" the white bat responded as she walked away.

"I assure you the reward for this mission is going to be quite pleasing," the man said in a convincing tone, revealing a blue Chaos Emerald.

"A Chaos Emerald…" Rouge said in an admiring tone. Her blue orbs locked on the precious stone, taking in its beauty. A treasure as valuable as a Chaos Emerald was hard to come by, and she would go mighty long ways to get a precious jewel like it. But was it worth the cost of doing such a job? She knew that crossing Shadow was not a good thing to do and he would not hold back the moment he realized her true intentions. Unless…

The General narrowed his eyes and waited for her answer.

The young woman grinned as she finally answered, "I'll do it."

* * *

_11:07 pm - Unknown Area_

The looming rain clouds and the darkness of the night covered everything in shadows, leaving only a few rays of light from the full moon to make their way through. Water continued to fall from the sky and the wind began to howl louder as time passed. The grass moved to one side and froze for a few seconds in its place before going back to its normal position as a black blur made its way through the forest.

Wind rushed through Shadow's dark quills, while the night's air filled his lungs. The water that landed on his fur gave his coat a white glow, making him look like a phantom in the night with glowing ruby orbs.

The ebony hedgehog scanned his surroundings carefully, stopping occasionally to examine the landscape with more precision. His eyes moved from the ground to the sky, and then to the trees and bushes around him. His eyes captured no movement and his ears caught no sound—the silence caused him to suspect that something was wrong.

Meanwhile, somewhere not far from the cave, a group of G.U.N. soldiers made their way through the forest by foot. Water rushed down their helmets as the water began to fall harder. Among the army men was Rouge the Bat, whose mission was to bring back Shadow to the G.U.N. headquarters.

As the soldiers moved silently through the brush, the woman kept a close eye on the radar located on her wrist. The map showed a dot that remained still, close to the assault team, and another a good distance away, which kept moving. Following her instinct, Rouge felt the need to pursue the moving target.

Rogue gave clear instructions to the soldiers to go after the fixed target. Ready to move out the men followed her orders and headed towards their designed target. She waited for the last soldier to disappear into the wilderness before she spread her wings and sprung into the air.

Not far from her Shadow stopped running and began to look around. There was something wrong with the awful silence that surrounded him. He had not found a single soldier in his path. Had they left? Or was it possible that G.U.N. had lost track of him? "No," he said to himself, "it can't be."

Ebony ears paid close attention to their surroundings and heard the sound of breaking branches. His body quickly moved into a fighting pose expecting G.U.N. forces. A white bat dressed in a black on-piece suit with a magenta heart-shaped plate over her bosom, white elbow-length gloves with magenta cuffs, and white boots with magenta heart-shaped plates at the tips appeared from the brush. Crimson orbs locked on the new figure, recognizing the woman that stood before him. She was none other than the government agent, Rouge the Bat.

Without fear the bat woman began to walk towards the Ultimate Lifeform. She examined him from head to toe and then said, "My, my… I didn't think you were still alive after the whole ARK incident."

"What are you doing here?" asked the ebony hedgehog dropping his stance but staying alert.

"Treasure hunting," replied Rouge with a devious smile.

Shadow's eyes narrowed and the tension between the old allies rose. The white bat was not intimidated as she retained her smile. Despite the fact that they had previously worked together, he did not let his guard down because he suspected that she was probably there on business. She did, after all, work for G.U.N. and was one of their best agents.

After a moment of silence Rouge narrowed her eyes, clearly seeing that dark hedgehog did not trust her. She decided to break the silence and said, "Why are you so mistrusting of an old ally?"

"Don't play any games with me, Rouge!" said the black hedgehog in a serious tone, "I know why you're here."

"Whatever could you mean?" inquired the woman while she crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned her head away from him, acting offended. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, turning back to see him, "I told you that I'm treasure hunting and that's that!"

Not wanting to waste any more time, Shadow continued to be straight forward, "They must have offered you something pretty great as a reward for this mission, huh?" He began to pace back and forth, trying to break the woman's act, "They probably offered you a Chaos Emerald, it's not a surprise that you would go as low as betraying an old companion to get your han—"

"Take that back!" Rouge yelled at the dark hedgehog, dropping her act. She did not like what he was implying. She was not a common thief or such a lowly person. Someone of her status would not do such a thing—even as tempting as it could be. It was true that she only cared for herself, but she would never be manipulated to do anyone's dirty work. If she was there, it was because she had _her own_ reasons.

Finally seeing some progress, the black and red streaked hedgehog stopped pacing and glared at the bat, "Then what the hell are you doing here?"

The woman placed her hands on her hips and responded irritated, "I came here to help you, you hostile baboon!"

"What—?" the ebony hedgehog reacted both surprised and offended at the sound of her last words.

"You heard me," she continued, "I came here to help you."

Nothing came without a price, especially coming from someone like Rouge. Intrigued by the offer the dark hedgehog narrowed his eyes and asked, "What's the catch?"

"Easy," she said with a smile, content with his reaction to her offer, "in exchange for help I want you to help me retrieve the Chaos Emeralds from inside the G.U.N. headquarters."

"Why the hell would I do that?" Shadow glared at the woman, "If you haven't realized, the moment I appear at the G.U.N. headquarters they will be ready to shoot me down."

"Not unless someone shuts down their defense system and back-up power source," she added mischievously. A minute passed without an answer from the hedgehog and in order to move things along faster Rouge decided to pressure him by saying, "But if you think you can handle the _whole_ organization by yourself when the time comes in which you have to face them, then I guess you don't really need me," as she began to walk away.

The ebony hedgehog looked down at the ground as if trying to find an answer in the green grass. Having someone shutting the headquarters power source was a very attractive idea, especially when someone could do the job from the inside. Also, Rouge made a good point: the showdown would eventually take him to confront the entire organization. And since he was probably going to head to the headquarters to begin with, taking the Chaos Emeralds before destroying it seemed like an easy task. No matter how he looked at the proposal, it came with a lot of benefits.

The white bat sprung into the air, ready to leave but the voice of the dark hedgehog stopped her, "You got a deal…!"

* * *

_11:25 pm – Unknown Area_

Outside the secluded cave rain continued to fall, this time harder than before. Nature's peaceful splendor was beginning to turn into a chaotic event. The flowers no longer rejoiced with the falling water, as it came down strong and threatened their colorful petals. The heaviness of each drop applied great pressure to each petal, making it hard for them to stand up for themselves. Trees fought against the wild wind, standing strong, while their leaves were carried away. The sky bore thunder and lightning, illuminating the dark sky occasionally.

Young Amy woke up as a result from the sounds of loud thunder; her heart jumped and her pupils grew small. She felt somewhat disoriented from waking up so abruptly and her eyes quickly turned to see the display of nature outside the cave. She then turned to see the dying fire in the center of the cave, victim of the wild wind that made its way inside the den. Feeling scared, she looked around the hideout in search of the ebony hedgehog. Her emerald orbs explored every corner of the cave but never found her dark companion.

"Shadow…?" the petite girl called out in a low voice that almost sounded like a quiver.

No one answered.

Amy began to worry and fear filled her body. Where could he be? She wondered as she wrapped her arms around her body. Was it possible that G.U.N. had found him and taken him while she slept? No, she would have heard the sounds of incoming soldiers and surely Shadow would have put up a fight. Maybe he had gone to check their surroundings; but even so, why would he do that when there was a storm raging outside? Shadow was not the reckless type… was he?

The rose hedgehog felt baffled and uncertain of what was going on. She began to pace around the cave, looking around occasionally. After a few minutes of walking around impatiently she heard a noise outside the cave. She moved closer to the entrance, hid behind the bushes that secluded the cave, and took a closer look outside. Her eyes then caught unusual movement in the brush, hoping that it was Shadow again, like it had been previously, she ran out.

Water began to fall on her, but she ignored it. Her quills, fur, and dress got wet very quickly, changing to darker colors as a result. And her boots got muddy as she walked through the puddles of dingy water outside the cave.

"Shadow, is that you?" Amy inquired while walking towards the bushes.

Without warning, a group of G.U.N. soldiers jumped out of the brush and surrounded her. Terrified, the young girl was about to scream before a soldier grabbed her from behind and placed a hand over her mouth as he carried her away. She began kicking the air, trying to get the man off of her, but it did not seem to work.

Determined to fight back, Amy felt adrenaline rush throughout her body. From hammer-space she called out her mighty Piko Piko hammer and hit the man behind her with the handle. The soldier released her and fell back. The rest of the soldiers circled the girl as her eyes flared.

The G.U.N. soldiers opened fire, sensing the hostility. The young hedgehog dodged the incoming attacks by jumping on top of the closest G.U.N. soldier and standing on top of his helmet before jumping again in the air. With all her strength she came down with full force in the middle of the circle of men and shouted, "Heart storm!" Pink hearts formed around the base of the hammer and when it touched the muddy ground, a gust of wind with pink hearts and mud blew the soldiers away. Some of the men flew in the air and hit trees on their way down; others landed with their on their backs on some bushes or with their faces against the muddy ground. Amy stood in the middle of the chaos, with her hammer on her shoulder.

However, to her disgrace, more soldiers came to her location. The back-up forces began to shoot and the rose hedgehog charged into action. She tightened her grip on the hammer and hit the upcoming soldiers on their stomachs, opening a path to lead her away from them. However, the soldiers that she was not able to hit continued to shoot and she was not able to dodge every incoming bullet. Some came in close-contact with her skin, cutting it in the process. Amongst the bullets that hit one did more damage than the others and injured her right shoulder. The pink hedgehog yelped in response and stopped running. She placed her left hand on her shoulder, covering the wound, and winced as her glove made contact with her skin.

Amy felt her body grow tired; her breathing rate increased and her chest began to ache. She was able to distance herself from the soldiers but they continued to follow her. They were too many of them for her to handle, especially in her now wounded state. She knew that with an injured shoulder her hammer would be hard to pick up and she would not be able to use it at full power. Blood dripped from her wound to the muddy ground, mixing in with the dirty water.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thanks for reading chapter three! I am trying to build a foundation for Shadow's and Amy's relationship at a good pace. Trying to add romance to an action story is pretty hard for me, especially with a character like Shadow. I do not want to make him out of character because that will harm the story. Also, hammer-space is the plane where all the objects that appear from thin air remain, until they are summoned by their owners, in cartoons, anime, games, etc.

If you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, or just simply want to give me your opinion about the chapter, feel free to review!

Thanks to: All my lovable readers and reviewers! I really appreciate and love the reviews.

**Chapter 4 Preview: Bloody Metal**

Things are looking bad for Amy, but when everything seems lost, Shadow appears to help her. As the battle rages on, the pink hedgehog is captured once again! Is the dark hedgehog willing to risk his life for the young girl? Or will he leave her in a tough spot?

_Until Next Time!_


	4. Bloody Metal

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter Four: Bloody Metal**

_11:31 pm - Unknown Area_

Amy felt her body grow tired; her breathing rate increased and her chest began to ache. She was able to distance herself from the soldiers but they continued to follow her. They were too many of them for her to handle, especially in her now wounded state. She knew that with an injured shoulder her hammer would be hard to pick up and she would not be able to use it at full power. Blood dripped from her wound to the muddy ground, mixing in with the dirty water.

There seemed to be an endless sea of bodies at her feet, as well as around her. The men watched her movements very carefully before charging at her; however, one by one they fell on the human mountain. The rose hedgehog applied more pressure on her shoulder and winced at the newly formed force that produced a burning sensation throughout her arm. The battle only made her injuries worse and she was beginning to loose more energy by the second. However, she was not going to go down that easily!

Amy Rose was determined to finish them all off- or go down fighting. Never in her life had the thought of going down in battle cross her mind; when she was faced with an uncertain and dangerous situation, it never really was life threatening because she had her friends around to help her. But this was different; she was alone in the middle of nowhere with an injured shoulder and a group of soldiers that would not think twice about killing her. The grip on her hammer tightened, every second she spent thinking about the pain on her body and her situation was a moment wasted

_Amy watched the group of armed men quietly, for they were only a few meters away from them. Meanwhile, the ebony hedgehog measured the distance between the enemies and himself with his eyes, preparing to attack the soldiers with a Chaos Spear attack. He removed his left hand from under the female and positioned his right in a way to support and secure her properly. The rose girl felt the change in his body posture and grasp, and watched him confused—unaware of his plan._

_A few quiet seconds passed before the dark hedgehog raised his arm in the air, his intentions growing clearer to the pink hedgehog. His on-set frown grew and he furrowed his brows in concentration. She watched his expression change and his eyes focus on the group of human soldiers. Alarmed by this, she exclaimed impulsively, "Don't hurt them!"_

_Behind them, the armed men heard the outburst and spotted them behind the tree. The heavy LZ-1 Troopers stood in stand-by while their screens identified the black, red streaked hedgehog as Project Shadow and a major threat, which required them to use maximum strength. Following their orders, which were to retreat or destroy Project Shadow, the G.U.N. soldiers raised their weapons and focused them their target. One of the soldiers pressed the side of his helmet and confirmed the location of Project Shadow and called for back-up, while another ordered one of the LZ-1 Troopers to launch a missile. The remaining soldiers watched as the rocket made its way to their target, leaving a trail of smoke behind._

_Acting quickly, the dark hedgehog jumped out of the way of the incoming attack and ran from the explosion. The fiery detonation of the missile forcibly cleared the area and the resulting fire burned many trees around. Bits and pieces of scorched dirt and wood rained down upon the two hedgehogs; they were now in clear sight and at the mercy of the enemy._

_Shadow watched the enemies intently and then looked down at the rose hedgehog. Irritated by the failure of the ambush because of her he said to her sharply, "Why didn't you stay quiet?"_

_Hurt by the tone of voice Amy flinched and brought her hands up to her mouth, realizing she had put their lives in danger. However, she then recovered and answered defensively, "There's no need to hurt the soldiers!" Emerald eyes pleaded earnestly for him to reconsider his plan. She locked her green orbs with ruby and implored in a small voice, "Please don't kill them."_

_The request took the dark hedgehog by surprise—despite of the circumstances, the young girl cared for the lives of the enemy._

A bullet zoomed passed her ear and she snapped back to reality; a soldier behind her took aim again and was ready to shoot. _'Concentrate Amy!'_ raged her head. She pulled her hammer out of the mud and swung it across the ground's liquefied surface. The brown substance splashed the soldier's face and that was enough for her to cause a diversion. The muddy solder tried to clear his face as the others began shooting. She raised her hammer completely from the marshy ground and began to run.

More bullets zoomed in the air and some hit the ground making miniature splashes as she ran across. Her boots grew dirtier and they made splashes of their own as they touched the floor. Her chest burned and her eyes were beginning to blur out; there was no chance of her escaping the soldiers in her current state.

Amy's body began to wobble as she ran; it was evident that it was on its limits. Seeing as how she was loosing speed and the bullets grew closer, she turned around and released her hammer from her hands, using it like a boomerang to attack the men behind her. Surely enough, the hammer hit a couple of soldiers, but others remained standing. A bullet splashed just inches away from her feet, and since the sudden release of her hammer caused her to loose her balance, she fell to the muddy ground.

The rose hedgehog's gloves were now brown and her dress grew even darker. She clutched the mud in her hands and tears began to fall down her dirty face. That was it... she was out of plans and energy. The defenseless girl tried to move and stand but she only accomplished to fall on the mud again. Her wounded shoulder took in some of the dirty water and burned her flesh.

A GUN soldier took aim at her and lightening crossed the sky; the petite hedgehog closed her eyes and waited for the blow. Thunder roared in the night and then her ears twitched at the sound of a faint _clunk_.

"Get him!" shouted a soldier. The sound of more bullets rang in her head, but this time the clunking noises grew louder and closer to her.

* * *

_Earlier 11:18 pm - Tails' Workshop_

The blue hedgehog turned on the couch he was sleeping on for the fiftieth time that night; he had not been able to sleep all night. His head was anywhere, but surely, not in that room. He felt uneasy and jumpy, he knew there was something going on out there and he had to find out!

Determined that his assistance was needed and without second thoughts, he threw the blankets to the side, took a small communicator into his hands, and then walked out of the workshop into the cold rainy night.

* * *

_11:58 pm - Unknown Area_

Amy opened her eyes and spotted a black and red hedgehog standing in front of her with a metal shield. The shield in the male's hands turned out to be one of GUN's very own; he had taken it from a soldier as he jumped to save the pink hedgehog. She blinked, thinking that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but then she heard the familiar cold voice, "I'll take care of them! Stand up and get way!"

With newly found strength, the rose hedgehog stood from the floor and ran for cover to the nearest tree. She leaned against it and slid down to the floor; her right hand remained on her left shoulder that was still bleeding. The wind blew and stung her face like little frozen daggers; she ran her free hand across her face and realized that it had tiny cuts and scratches over it. She moved her wet bangs out of the way before looking at her arms and legs that were also covered with minor injuries. They were probably all caused by the luckily missed bullets.

The petite female relaxed her body and took in a deep breath; Shadow really had a great timing, but this wouldn't have had happened if he had left on the first place! If only he were more patient and trusted other people; however, she was happy that he came back just in time. She let out another sight before moving her body to a position where she could tilt her head and see the fight.

The battle raged on and screams filled the stormy night's air.

Ruby orbs explored the area around him and counted the enemies that he was facing, after a few seconds of thought and calculations his face bore a malicious grin; GUN had to learn that they were no match for him.

Still hidden behind the shield, he took a few steps back before running towards the soldiers. As he gained speed he placed the shield beneath his feet and began sliding across the mud. Some GUN soldiers grunted in annoyance and ran after the dark hedgehog, while others remained unconscious on the ground.

The ebony hedgehog skied across the forest with great skill; golden lights appeared in the sky before landing on the soldiers that were chasing him. Rapidly, by groups at a time, the soldiers began to fall and the attacks grew weaker. As the last couple of soldiers followed, he turned his 'board' around, splashing the many trees and bushes behind him, and stopped before his enemies.

The man at the very front seemed to shake in fear as lighting illuminated Shadow's face. His grin grew as he saw fear building up in between the men; they knew they were doomed as he stood in front of them. He took his time as he plotted his next move, a way to eliminate them once and for all, something that could get across their tiny little brains that no mere mortal was a match for the Ultimate Lifeform. Indeed, his malicious expression grew as he raised his hand on the air.

One of the soldiers pulled out a remote at the sight of such act and prepared to push a button. The dark hedgehog, however, was not going to allow him to call for any help or play any of his little tricks. The soldier began to run in fear as Shadow approached him; the others began to shoot, but he dodged the bullets and then jumped in the air. The defenseless man pressed a green button on the controller before being kicked on the head so hard, that he fell to the ground unconscious. He turned around and threw a chaos spear attack at the remaining soldiers that fell to the mud head first; with his job done, he began to walk away from the scene.

oOo

Amy closed her eyes and faced forward again, Shadow had taken the enemies away from her location. She knew that he wanted her to escape while he distracted the soldiers, so she stood up and began to walk deeper in the forest to find some shelter.

As she walked through the forest, her ears twitched at the sound of everything around her; she grew alert as she heart faint buzzing sounds behind her. She ran behind a tree, taking cover and hiding from whatever that was following her. Surely enough, the buzzing sound vanished and she let out a sight before taking a step forward.

With her eyes wide open and alert, she continued walking while constantly looking back. Her heart began pounding and her steps grew quicker, soon after she burst to a jog, she fell to the mud when she hit an invisible barrier.

oOo

Shadow heard a faint buzzing sound behind him and looked over his shoulder only to see a certain pink hedgehog in a cage surrounded by a couple of beetles, four 02 Hunters, and, surprisingly, a round artificial chaos holding the cell.

_'What-?' _thought the ebony hedgehog as his red orbs traveled from one robot to another, and finally remained on the blue liquefied figure. How had GUN obtained control over the artificial chaos? His eyes moved from the blue chaos to the pink girl inside the cage; she lay on the metal floor motionless, _'Such a nuisance...'_

Two of the four white humanoids approached him and began attacking the dark hedgehog. He dodged the attacks and jumped in the air assuming a spin ball form and attacked the two robots before him. They immediately fell to the floor and he finished them off with a homing attack, then did a flip and landed carefully on his feet. Not far from him, the two robots exploded and sparks flew from their burning circuits.

The beetles charged at him, only to be destroyed easily by his spin jump. One hit and the damage would be irreparable; more rubbish landed on mud, this was no challenge for the Ultimate Lifeform. If they had Eggman with him, then why didn't they at least try to update their models? Surely they would need all the help they could get their hands on if they wanted to destroy him. But why did it matter to him? If their stupidity led them to their doom, he wouldn't be one to complain- or be surprised- about.

Shadow advanced closer to the artificial chaos and the remaining 02 hunters; seeing the male hedgehog's advances, the two white robots began to fire their guns at him. Bullets zoomed passed him and splashed on the floor; he didn't even need to dodge the attacks for they were missing on their own. The thought of also improving their accuracy crossed his mind.

Without a second thought, the red and black hedgehog jumped in the air and kicked both 02 hunters out of the way, and then he landed on the ground and cast his chaos spears to completely eliminate them. As he continued walking forward, the artificial chaos began to extend its tentacle-like-arms trying to pierce through him. It aimed right and he jumped out of the way, then it aimed left and he ran to the right. But as he grew closer the attacks grew faster and so did its intention to get rid of him. He jumped and ran out of the way a couple of times but its attacks were so fast he barely missed some.

The blue monster grew more arms and its body got bigger as it absorbed the rain. _'I guess GUN hasn't been wasting its time after all...'_ he thought before jumping in the air avoiding one of the chaos' attacks. However, while he was in mid-air his enemy continued to attack, it now had its ten arms aiming at Shadow's vital points while he did his best to stay away from them.

It wasn't long until it got the ebony hedgehog and he fell to the muddy floor with his right hand on his bleeding side; the cut wasn't deep but it was bleeding. He rose from the ground and did a back flip after another tentacle was launched at him. He landed gingerly on his feet before, once again, moving out of the way.

More rain fell and the artificial chaos continued growing; its liquefied body began to absorb the cage with the pink hedgehog still inside. As her skin made contact with the cold blue body, she opened her eyes slowly and tried to stand up. Her emerald eyes spotted the black hedgehog moving as quickly as he could to avoid attacks from- she looked up and screamed.

Shadow's ears picked up the sharp cry and turned his face to see the rose girl that was trying to escape the cell. He was running out of time as the cage was slowly being eaten by the massive chaos body. There was no other way, he had to act now! From hammer space, he pulled out a red chaos emerald and held it firmly in his left hand. Thanks to his great stamina, he had enough power to use chaos energy.

The ebony hedgehog jumped out of range of an attack once again; mud splashed everywhere and his location was concealed behind the brown curtain. It was now or never, with the red Chaos Emerald still in his left hand, he summoned chaos energy, "Chaos Control!"

Everything seemed to slow down around him, the attacks from the chaos creature grew slower and slower, until they seemed to have stopped completely. Shadow ran up one of its extended arms and approached the half-way submerged cage; inside it, the pink hedgehog was kneeling and had her hands on the bars. Her expression was contorted between fear, annoyance, and helplessness.

The dark hedgehog let out a grunt before launching three golden spears at the cage and pulling the small female out. He took her on his arms and jumped in the air, but just as he landed on the ground he felt a cold spear penetrate his back and felt a warm liquid travel his body. One of the chaos' tentacle-like-arms had pierced through his skin and stabbed his back as his feet touched the ground. He was loosing his balance but seemed to have landed on his knees instead of falling completely.

The girl on his arms screamed his name and everything had gone back to its normal state of time; yet, to him, time was still frozen as pain coursed through his body. Blood from his back leaked to his sides and landed on the muddy ground and the pink female on his arms. Her eyes were widened and all the color from her bubbly face vanished. Tears began to fill her face and another scream escaped her lips, this time, she seemed to be warning him of something, but everything had lost its voice.

Knowing that they were still in grave danger, he tightened the grip around the Chaos Emerald and it began glowing, as so did his eyes; he felt energy surge through his veins and let out a howling scream, "Chaos Blast!"

Amy felt something warm around her body and noticed a small ball of energy formed around them like a shield before exploding and destroying everything around them. The chaos creature tried to fight the ball of mass energy, but was thrown back and its body burst into tiny droplets that were burned by the energy and disappeared completely. There was no trace of the creature left... or that of anything else!

Flames surrounded them, but vanished as tiny droplets of water fell from the heavens. Silence filled the night, the lightning and thunder had left the sky. Both of the hedgehog's quills continued to get wet as they didn't move after the attack.

Shadow remained quiet; it was evident that the fight had taken most of his energy. Amy looked up at him, and he looked down at her, and there she saw something she had never thought she could see in shadow, it was a protective emotion- it was hard to explain or put on words.

His ruby eyes locked on hers before he spoke in a barely audible voice, "You're an idiot for getting yourself captured like that."

The male's words and eyes had a hint of relief. The rose hedgehog's heart skipped a beat and she felt warm inside. His expression made her feel… strange.

Not long after his words, the dark hedgehog fell to the ground, on top of her, unconscious...

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading chapter four of this jam-packed action story! Although this is the shortest chapter from the 4 so far, I really liked it. I believe I did a decent job with the fight. What I liked most about the chapter was the ending; it made a good cliffhanger, as well as a good start for the romance between Shadow and Amy. Though making characters fall in love through a horrifying and traumatizing experience is a bit out of taste... it works!

Remember, if you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, or just simply want to give me your opinion about the chapter, feel free to review! I love, love, love reviews, they keep me motivated and inspire me to keep writing.

Thanks to: All my lovable readers & reviewers! I really appreciate and love the reviews.

**Chapter 5 Preview: Onwards**

Feeling indebted with Shadow, the pink hedgehog tends to him, unaware of the hidden feelings this might awaken in the two. However, as Shadow begins to feel closer to the small girl, he decides is time to leave her behind and move onwards with his plan.**  
**

_Until Next Time!_


	5. Onwards

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter Five: Onwards**

_1:05 am – Unknown Location_

A lone blue hedgehog ran through a deep forest, his emerald orbs exploring his surroundings as fast as they could in search of his friends. As he went deeper in to the unknown, traces of a previous battle began to appear down the path. He grew worried at the sight of the rubbish of what he could tell was a big battle.

Sonic slowed down as he approached a group of soldier bodies, _'Are they dead?_ He moved closer, hoping to see if the GUN soldiers were still alive. He approached one of the bodies and moved his hand close to it; as his hand grew closer, the soldier began to move and grabbed Sonic's arm, "Woah!"

The cerulean hedgehog pulled his arm from the soldier's grip and jumped back. His emerald eyes moved from his arm to the soldier lying in front of him; it was then when he saw something unbelievable. Half of the soldiers face was ripped off, showing metallic parts. Sparks jumped from the revealed area and the attacker's arm remained frozen in place.

The hero narrowed his eyes, "What is going on here…?" He looked at the rest of the soldiers and inspected them all; every one of them was a robot. Amongst the rubbish he found a piece of metal with an all-familiar logo on it. With even more drive to find his friends, he began to run, following the trail of metal scraps.

* * *

_1:07 am – Unknown Location_

Their surroundings were destroyed. The trees were no longer green and were burned greatly, their trunks dead and some still in flames that were slowly being put out by the incoming rain. The flowers that once existed were no more; the floor was scorched and scarred. The air was heavy with smoke, but the wind blew wildly and carried it away.

Shadow stood quietly with a pink hedgehog in his arms. His body felt heavy and worn out. He locked his eyes on the small rose girl; it certainly became hard to fight with a handicap. Yet, the fight seemed more meaningful than just a mere rescue on his part. He had a cause to keep fighting, and that felt… strangely nice. It was different than what he was used to fight for, which usually was himself and his goals. But the drive and need to protect something, _someone_, was overwhelmingly satisfying.

Amy, still in his arms, looked at him with worried eyes. Her emerald eyes showed her shaken expression easily. The dark hedgehog felt uneasy; that expression did not suit her. It had been really unfortunate for the young girl to get caught up on the chaotic chase GUN had issued against him. But with the GUN troops defeated in that area, he was finally going to be able to take her home. She no longer had to be part of the chase.

The ebony hedgehog felt his body grow heavy and unbalanced; the damage he had received from the chaos creature was obvious on his shaking body. He knew his body couldn't handle more damage, and it was slowly giving in to fatigue.

With his ruby orbs still on the girl, he spoke in a barely audible voice, "You're an idiot for getting yourself captured like that…"

The male's words and eyes had a hint of relief. Perhaps because he knew she no longer had to be in any danger. The rose hedgehog's heart skipped a beat and she felt warm inside. His expression made her feel… strange.

Not long after his words, the dark hedgehog fell to the ground, on top of her, unconscious...

"Shadow…?" said Amy as she lightly shook the dark hedgehog on top of her. "Shadow, get up…" she pleaded in a small voice.

Shadow didn't move or respond; he seemed to be unconscious. The small girl pushed the ebony hedgehog off of her gently and carefully, making sure she didn't harm him. The male was now kneeling in front of her, his head on her left shoulder, and his body leaning on hers for support. Her gloved hands moved to his back, cautiously supporting his body. The chaos emerald that was once on his land fell off and made a splash on the muddy ground.

Amy felt something warm on her hands as she held the male. She slowly brought up one of her hands to see what it was. Her eyes widened in terror at the sight of her gloved hand covered in his blood. She stared at the male in shock, her chest tightened and her mind went numb. "Oh no…! Shadow!" Amy panicked. Her thoughts were battered and her senses were hard to find. Her eyes moved quickly and franticly through the ashes of her surroundings in hopes of finding aid, but the desolate land made her feel helpless.

The pink hedgehog's eyes began to water, the tightness of her chest made her hiccup as she began to sob. Trying to find comfort, the girl wrapped her arms around the dark hedgehog. Tears rolled down her face and she began to talk to him, hoping that somehow he would be awakened from his slumber, "Shadow… I'm so sorry I got caught…!"

Amy's embrace grew tighter and her sobs louder, "Please… please, wake up…!" The rain continued to fall on the hedgehogs. The curtain of water mixed with the pink hedgehog's tears, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Shadow… You got hurt because you were trying to save me…!"

Her sobs were carried with the night's air. She closed her eyes shut and tears began to fall to the floor, "Please, Shadow… wake up." As her tears continued to drip, some fell on the chaos emerald that was in the muddy ground behind them. A warm glow began to emit from the emerald at the touch of Amy's tears.

The pink hedgehog's eyes opened at the sight of the red glow. The energy from the emerald encased them in a glowing bubble. She felt her body grow stronger, her tears began to vanish in the air, and her emerald eyes widened in disbelief as her injuries healed. Seeing the results of the glow on her, she quickly examined Shadow's injuries, and was relieved at the sight that, they too, had been healed.

After both hedgehogs were fully healed, the energy quickly crept back from where it came, and the red chaos emerald remained in the floor, motionless. Amy didn't know what to make of the sudden event. The power of the chaos emeralds was truly mysterious and worked in unearthly ways.

"Amy!" a familiar voice exclaimed from a distance. The pink girl's eyes moved behind her and spotted a blue blur approaching them fast.

"S-Sonic…!" the girl stammered, awakened from her thoughts.

"Amy," said the blue hedgehog stopping right in front of his friends, "I'm glad to see you're safe." His attention quickly moved to the limp body of his dark counterpart, "What happened to Shadow?"

"GUN ambushed us," she answered with a frown on her face. "I was kidnapped," her eyes moved to the dark hedgehog in her arms. She thought back to the events that had led to her rescue and smiled gently, "but Shadow was able to save me."

Sonic observed the small girl as her emerald orbs looked at Shadow. Her face bore a very caring expression. It was obvious she was grateful of the dark hedgehog's actions. The blue hedgehog looked at his counterpart and smiled. Shadow really wasn't a bad guy, he was a true hero. He turned around and got ready to carry Shadow, "Amy, let me carry him back to Tails' workshop."

The pink hedgehog turned to see Sonic and nodded. She supported the dark hedgehog's body until he was standing up and then placed him on Sonic's back. In a low voice she whispered, "Shadow, hang in there."

"Are you in a good condition to run?" asked the blue hero as he turned to see the girl.

"Yes," she responded eagerly.

Sonic looked forward and got ready to run, "Let's move."

The two ran away from the unknown and to Tails' workshop, where they knew they would be safe from any danger.

* * *

_3:34 am – Tails' Workshop_

"Well," said a small yellow fox as he came out of a room, "he's doesn't have any injuries and only seems to be unconscious."

Sonic sighed in relief to hear the news. They had arrived at Tails' workshop safely and without any further attacks from GUN. The blue hedgehog was sitting on a couch at the workshop.

Tails sat next to Sonic and yawned, "All Shadow has to do is rest and he'll be good as new when he wakes up. I'm happy to hear he saved Amy from danger."

The blue hedgehog looked at his friend with a smile on his face and said, "I told you he was a good guy." The room was quiet for a few seconds until Sonic spoke again, "Tails, can you check something for me?"

"Sure, what is it?" said the small fox happily.

"This…" Sonic pulled out a strange piece of metal and handed it to the fox.

Tails examined the small metallic piece and turned it around, seeing the Eggman logo on it. His blue eyes widened, "Where did you get this?"

"When I went to look for Shadow and Amy," said the blue male, "I bumped into some GUN soldiers on the floor… but the strange thing was, they weren't humans at all! That piece of metal was lying amongst the mess."

"This certainly belongs to Dr. Eggman…" said the fox-child as he moved his fingers across the logo. The round face, with dark glasses, and that funny mustache; it was the egotistical doctor himself in print.

"Eggman is helping GUN capture Shadow…" Sonic stretched his arms and let out a loud yawn, "I believe that's the reason GUN went after Eggman, to enforce an alliance."

"Most likely, but I doubt that's really what's happening," said Tails as his mind began to work. He slowly put together pieces of information like a puzzle and began to construct various theories on the situation in his head. His mind was truly remarkable.

"Why do you say that Tails?" said the blue hedgehog, paying close attention to his friend.

Tails moved to his working table, turned on a light, and examined the piece of metal, "Dr. Eggman isn't one to take sides with anyone, especially with GUN, who has been after him for years for the crimes he has committed. Even if they offered him a good reward- If they took him by force and made him work for them, I have the feeling Dr. Eggman would want to retaliate. I don't think GUN is aware that Eggman infiltrated their army with androids."

"Hmm…" Sonic thought quietly, "So, what you're saying is that Eggman is going to betray GUN by using those robot soldiers?"

"Most likely," the fox said reassured of his theory, "He's probably going to use the androids to think of a way to break out of the headquarters."

"But won't that put everyone at the base in danger?" the blue hedgehog knew the answer to his question and stood up from the couch, "We have to stop him before he does anything that will harm people."

"Yes, I agree," the small fox turned off the light of his desk and walked towards Sonic, "But there are still some things I can't figure out, such as: Why are the Eggman robots after Shadow? I don't think GUN was the one that planned the ambush outside the cave."

"What could he be planning to do with Shadow…?" the blue hedgehog began to pace back and forth in the room. "Whatever he is trying to do, Eggman is becoming a greater threat than GUN…" he stopped in his tracks and looked at Tails, "We really got to stop him before he is able to fulfill whatever he is planning!" The quietness of the room threw his heroic moment awry. Emerald eyes began to move around the workshop, "Where's Amy?"

The fox yawned and then replied, "She was really worried about Shadow and wanted to take care of him until he regained consciousness. No matter what I said, I couldn't convince her to go rest."

oOo

Amy sat on a chair besides the bed where a dark hedgehog laid resting. Her emerald orbs attentively engaged on Shadow. She watched as his chest heaved up and down slowly; he was in a deep slumber. The room was quiet besides a clock that made a clicking sound every time its hands moved. The young girl's head bobbed with the sound of the hands.

The pink girl was evidently tired, but refused to sleep until the ebony hedgehog came to. Outside, the night was ending and early morning wasn't far, but the girl persistently kept her eyes open. As time passed her body gave in and her lids began to fall slowly. She fell asleep with her head on the bed, close to the male.

* * *

_Previous Night 11:10 pm – Unknown Area_

Rouge the bat stood in front of Shadow. Her bold eyes locked on the dark hedgehog that stood before her, "I'll make your decision worth it by giving you information about the true plan right now. I'm sure you've realized there's more to this alliance than meets the eye…"

The ebony hedgehog watched the bat quietly and carefully as she continued to talk.

"When the Doctor was arrested, he was taken to the GUN headquarters and he was… _persuaded_ to make an alliance with GUN," the bat crossed her arms. "The doctor was then placed in a high security prison. He had very little freedom but when he got the chance, he was able to contact me. He told me that you were alive and that GUN was planning on taking care of you… permanently," Rouge paused.

Both characters remained under the rain that was still pouring from the sky.

"At first it was hard to believe, until I found out for myself," the bat closed her eyes and continued, "I went back to see Dr. Eggman who told me that he had a plan to destroy GUN's base and since we had common enemy making an alliance against GUN wouldn't be a bad idea." Her blue eyes locked on the hedgehog before her, "He said that as a bonus he will permanently delete all files on you from their computers, and make it impossible for them to create any new information on you."

Shadow looked at the ground as he placed his thumb and index finger on his chin, thinking. It was beneficial to help Eggman if it meant that GUN wouldn't be able to locate him again, "So then we will be working under the Doctor again."

The female nodded and placed her hands back on her sides, "Now, of the technology GUN forced Eggman to create, there were androids. They look like ordinary soldiers and are made specially to fight you. GUN feared that a regular human soldier would be too weak to go into the field and face you."

The dark hedgehog crossed his arms and snorted, "It seems like they aren't so stupid after all." He closed his eyes and remembered the explosion of the ARK and realized, _'So that's why they blew up ARK without consideration for the soldiers on board.'_

"Although most of the androids are under the control of GUN, Dr. Eggman was able to implant a control chip on some of them. He wanted to have some control over the army to formulate an escape plan," the bat placed one of her hands on her hips, "Right now the androids under his control are enough to form a small squad that will conveniently be working under me once we put the plan into action."

Shadow looked up at the woman and his narrowed his eyes, "I see… So what exactly are we going to do to approach the GUN headquarters?"

"Tomorrow at 1200 in this area, I will pretend to capture you and take you as a prisoner to GUN's Headquarters," the woman continued, "Once we are inside the base we will proceed with the escape plan to free Dr. Eggman… but I will tell you more about that tomorrow when we meet again."

A sudden beeping went off and Rouge looked immediately down at her wrist, "It seems the androids found a target…" She continued reading the report, "That's weird… it seems to be coming from the direction you came from. I wonder who it could be since you are standing right in front of me."

Shadow's eyes widened when he realized who the acquired target was and let out a snarl, "Damn…!" He looked at the direction he came from and knew Amy was in danger, "Where those androids part of GUN or Eggman?"

The white bat noticed his sudden change and answered, "They were GUN robots. I was supposed to find you before they did." The female approached the hedgehog slowly and curiously, "Was someone else with you?"

"I don't have time to explain," the dark hedgehog said, kicking his air shoes in and skating off. He knew that if the androids were meant to take him on, the pink hedgehog was in serious danger.

Rouge saw him disappeared into the night. Her blue eyes looked down at her wrist again, wondering what was going on. In her locator, a red flashing dot was surrounded by solid blue dots.

* * *

_9:38 am - Tails' Workshop_

The early morning sunshine entered through the window. Outside the day had already started and the birds were chirping happily. In the small room, two hedgehogs rested, tired from the ordeal that had taken place a few hours before.

Shadow's eyes begun to twitch, awakened by the sunlight that came in through the window. He slowly stood up and realized he was in an unfamiliar room. As he examined his surroundings, his eyes caught a glimpse of a pink object near him.

Close to him, at the edge of the bed, a pink hedgehog rested, soundly asleep. Her head was on the bed itself, but the rest of her body rested on a chair. She used her crossed arms as a pillow and her lips were slightly open.

The black hedgehog remembered the recent events quite vividly. From his escape from the ARK to the fight with the dangerous chaos creature, it was all very clear until after he was wounded. He had no clear memory of what had happened after he rescued the pink girl. _'I must have lost consciousness,'_ thought the male as he looked at his hands.

His crimson eyes continued exploring the room, wondering how he had gotten there. Amy had been injured before he had arrived to rescue her, and it was hard to believe that she had taken him away from the area by herself after he was knocked out. Drawing conclusions from possible scenarios, he then assumed that Sonic had arrived sometime after he had lost consciousness; it seemed to be the only reasonable answer.

The dark hedgehog observed Amy curiously, his eyes locked on the girl. He was surprised to see her resting by him despite of the constant danger that the 'Ultimate Lifeform' brought. But just why did she remain close to him…? Unafraid of any further danger that may befall her from simply being _near_ him, he pondered. She certainly was courageous or very naïve. Whatever the case, it was captivating.

Amy began to move, and slowly woke up. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and then yawned. As she opened her eyes she realized that the ebony hedgehog was awake. A smile burst from her face as she exclaimed, "Shadow you are awake!"

The male hedgehog did not reply and stayed quiet, his eyes moved away from the girl and onto an empty space in the room. His thoughts, as of recently, were starting to become a nuisance.

The rose hedgehog examined the male with her eyes and then moved close to him. Shadow turned to see the girl sit on the bed and crawl closer to him. Taken aback by her actions, he tried to move back. Just what was the girl thinking?

"Don't move," she said as she moved closer to him on the bed.

The dark hedgehog reluctantly followed her orders and remained still as the girl came closer to him. He felt his heart beat fast and grew nervous. The girl stopped dead in her tracks when she was in front of him. Her vivid emerald eyes looked up at him and locked with ruby red.

"Can you move your arm please?" she said simply.

The ebony hedgehog was baffled by her actions but he moved his arm, which was the only thing keeping her from coming any closer to him. The girl brought her left arm close to him and placed her hand on his chest, examining his body. Then she gently pushed him back, her eyes concentrated on him. He observed the girl's actions, surprised and overtaken.

Her emerald eyes examined him carefully and then lit up. She looked up at Shadow happily and exclaimed, "You really are healed!"

The black hedgehog looked down at his body and did not spot any injuries; he was, somehow, completely healed. Shadow, a bit flustered, sighed in relief, _'So that's what she was doing…'_

"Is anything wrong?" Amy inquired, "Does anything hurt?" She began to examine him again, making sure she hadn't missed anything and to make sure the male wasn't in any pain.

The small hedgehog was frantically searching for any wounds and it was overwhelming to the male, but he was able to muster a quiet, "I'm fine…"

Amy's face moved dangerously close to his, "Oh that's a relief!"

Shadow moved back a little and bumped lightly into the wall. He couldn't move back anymore and the girl was still very close to him.

"You should have seen what happened to me before you arrived—" Amy carried on with the story of how she fought off the GUN soldiers with intense detail. Her arms waved and her expressions changed as her story progressed. She remained close to the male, facing him as the told the tale.

The ebony hedgehog knew the girl was talking, but for some reason, he couldn't understand her words. The closeness was too much for him to handle and he felt his body grow stiff as she continued, without regards for his personal space.

"I was really worried about you after you saved me," she continued talking, "you lost consciousness and were losing a lot of blood."

Shadow was only able to hear a few words of the story. He was flustered, but he didn't know how to escape the situation. He observed the girl and her many mannerisms as she told the tale, but no sound entered his ears. He wanted to get away, but the wall had trapped him, putting him at her mercy.

"I didn't know what to do and then—" she proceeded on telling him about the glowing emerald and how it healed their wounds. Amy finished her story and grabbed the male's hands into hers, "Thank you Shadow!" Her emerald eyes were fixed on his ruby orbs. Her expression was bright and welcoming.

The nervous male could not muster a reply and the girl's gaze made his predicament worse. It was strange, he was able to fight fearlessly, and there he was… under the control of the small female. He stared at her intense green eyes and wondered why it was so hard to escape her.

The pink hedgehog observed Shadow curiously. His eyes were fixed on hers but he did not respond. Amy pondered on the reason and suddenly realized her position. Her face was close to his and her hands were holding his tightly. The quiet clicking of the clock on the wall seemed to slowly fade as the rose hedgehog grew flustered. Her heart began to pound and her cheeks grew red.

Amy knew the all familiar throb in her chest. _'Could it be…?'_ she asked herself, confused. She quickly released his hands and moved away from the dark hedgehog, completely flustered. She grabbed her cheeks with her hands and closed her eyes. She could hear her heart in her ears, thumping loudly.

The dark hedgehog stared at his hands, where hers once stood, and felt strange. His body felt light and comfortable, and yet nervous; his heart raced and he felt cold sweat. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. His red orbs moved to the girl who was now sitting at the edge of the bed, giving her back to him. He narrowed his eyes, puzzled; could it be possible that he felt some sort attachment to the pink hedgehog?

The rose girl was confused, the all-familiar signs were overpowering. She was almost positive of what she was experiencing. She looked back at the ebony hedgehog and spotted him looking at her. His dark eyes closely watching her. She felt her heart jump and turned away again.

Shadow spotted her steal a glance and his confusion grew; her actions were strange.

The tension in the room grew and Amy couldn't take it anymore. She slapped her cheeks, trying to snap herself back to reality. Then she stood up from the bed and spoke in a nervous tone, "I will go make some breakfast so you can regain your strength!" She quickly walked out of the room, never looking back. She opened the door and closed it behind her.

The dark hedgehog stared at the door, _'How is it possible…?'_ His thoughts traveled to the cause of his strange emotions. The rose hedgehog really was something special, but he wanted no part on what was beginning to happen. He clenched his fist and looked at the window, with GUN out there still pursing him, there was no time for foolish notions. He was the 'Ultimate Lifeform', a fearful weapon of mass destruction.

Shadow spotted his shoes by the bed, put them on, and then proceeded to opening the window. He got ready to jump out but looked back at the door. His small adventure with the girl had come to an end, and it was time to move onwards with his new plan. Without second thoughts, he jumped out the window and landed safely outside. His air skates kicked in and he began to run to his next destination and away from the rose girl.

Back in the room, the girl stood against the other side of the closed door. She fell to the floor with her hands on her beating heart. She closed her eyes and absorbed the intense feelings that overwhelmed her. Taking in every heart beat like sweet nectar, satisfying her girlish notions that she was beginning to fall in love once again...

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading chapter 5! I can't believe it's been 3 years since I last updated this story... I apologize to those who had to wait so long for me to continue.

Personally, I liked this chapter. The title 'Onwards' not only signifies that the plot is moving forward but also that the story is moving forward. I enjoyed writing it and I revised it a lot to make sure it was reader-worthy, so I hope you all liked it as well. Oh and to clarify something about the androids (for those who didn't catch it): Sonic and Tails are not aware that Shadow knows about them because of Rouge BUT Shadow does not know that the androids were Eggman's... _tun tun tun_...

If you read the story and have any comments, suggestions, ideas, or just simply want to give me your opinion about the chapter, feel free to review! I really want/need to get some feedback on the story and its progress.

A special thanks to all those who have read the story and reviewed!

**Chapter 6 Preview: According to Plan**

When the Sonic Heroes find out that the dark hedgehog has left, they go after him, with intention of stopping him. Meanwhile, Shadow meets with Rouge to proceed with their plan to break Eggman out of his prison and destroy GUN's base! But what happens when the plan goes awry and the true enemy's intentions are revealed?

_Until Next Time!_


	6. According to Plan

**Don't Let Me Fall**

**Chapter Six: According to Plan**

_Previous Day 7:33 pm – GUN Headquarters_

The atmosphere was cold, metallic, and dark. Careful ears perked up, carefully listening to any incoming danger to signal an escape. The silence was deafening in the computer room, but the woman knew she couldn't let her guard down. Blue-green eyes moved as fast as they could, reading a computer screen as information flowed. She analyzed the information quickly and thoroughly, switching screens whenever she was done with the current page. Her eyes narrowed as she stumbled on information about Shadow the Hedgehog. It had been true after all, what the Doctor and the Commander had told her… he was alive.

Rouge continued to read the screen as more information about her target appeared. The only words that described the hedgehog in the files identified him as a dangerous threat, a weapon, not a word referred to him as a living being. When it came down to it, GUN overlooked Shadow's actions during the ARK incident and had not taken them into consideration with their current plan to dispose of him— this was shown by the various methods of eliminating him that were displayed in the screen.

The bat woman finished reading the information and set everything back how it was. She opened an air vent and entered it, sneaking out of the room quietly. As she traveled down to her next destination, her thoughts troubled her. The Commander had given her orders to find and retrieve Shadow so that he could not be used against them. However, he had not informed her of his true intentions once the hedgehog was captured. Now, fully aware of the truth, she knew she couldn't possibly work for their mission. If their plans involved disposing of Shadow, the reason they were still alive to that day, she did not want to be part of it. He had saved the world! And yet, to GUN… he was nothing more than a weapon.

Light entered the vent; she was closing in on the next exit. Once at the end, she took out the metal cover with ease and came out on the upper right corner of a white room. The small room contained a single bed, a table, a couple of writing boards, a single piece of chalk… and a strange looking man with black glasses and a messy mustache.

"I see you're back," the egg-shaped man stated, his back to her.

Rouge glided down behind the Doctor and placed her hands on her hips, "You really were telling the truth."

"Why would I lie, my dear Rouge?" his black specs shone because of the multiple bright lights in the room.

The blue-eyed bat crossed her arms and began to think about his earlier offer to help him escape GUN and save Shadow in exchange for a Chaos Emerald. The offer itself was tempting, but she knew that Eggman could turn against her at any given moment if his true plan called for it. But if she allowed GUN to get their hands on Shadow, they would kill the ebony hedgehog without remorse. She began to weight the sides, which one benefited _her_ the most? And when it came down to it… how did it benefit Eggman? Rouge narrowed her eyes and spoke, "Why do you want to rescue Shadow?"

Eggman turned to see the white bat behind him and began, "Shadow was my grandfather's greatest creation! I can't possibly let GUN destroy him. Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, is his legacy!"

Rouge stared at the doctor, trying to find any hint that may lead her to believe it was a trap. However, the doctor seemed to be honest with his words and he had told her the truth about Shadow being alive before GUN had; not only that, but he informed her of their true intentions. She didn't have a reason to oppose his proposition… and there was also a chaos emerald involved as a reward for helping him.

"Besides," Doctor Eggman continued, "Shadow saved the world. He saved me and you!" He turned around, back to the board he had been writing on, "You can say that in a way, you owe him a favor."

Bat ears perked up at the sound of his words.

* * *

_10:02 am - Tails' Workshop_

Amy Rose leaned against the door that separated her from the crimson and black hedgehog. She felt her knees grow weak as she stood quietly outside the room. After a few seconds, she gave in to the pressure and slowly slid to the floor; she then moved her hands to her palpitating heart and closed her eyes to hear the loud thumps that seem to cause her immense delight.

After a few minutes, emerald eyes peeked from their hiding place and looked down at the pair of hands on her chest. The image of her hands gratefully grasping Shadow's came rushing back. She remembered those bewildered ruby eyes, puzzled by her actions, fixed on hers; deep pools of red, dark and mysterious, yet bright and captivating.

A smile spread across Amy's face as she closed her eyes once more. She allowed her body and mind to absorb the sensation that love caused. Taking small sips of it, like sweet nectar that fueled her existence. And although she had felt lost in love before, the feelings seemed somehow different. Perhaps this was caused by the unexpected source of emotions.

"Shadow the Hedgehog…" she muttered, hoping that his name would guide her mind to the reasons why her heart had so suddenly grown attached to him. But trying to apprehend the concept of affection and infatuation of her heart was like trying to catch a fish in water.

Inadvertently, the forming attraction the rose hedgehog felt towards the onyx male was caused by many factors. One of them being the fact that the young girl was that, young; her age caused her to be innocent, naïve, ditzy, and even fickle. Barely a teen, her world constantly changed in a day to day basis. It was a fact that she sustained silly notions of 'possible' futures with whom she believed was the love of her life, but she was beginning to realize that things were quite different outside her fantasies. Her world had suddenly taken a wild turn, her emotions and thoughts at play.

Other elements adding to her affection were the protection the dark hedgehog offered during the frantic chase; especially his willingness to sacrifice his life for her, knowing very little about her. As well as the comfort she felt while around him. Although the male was cold and distant at times, she felt strangely at ease with him; the solace of his presence being enough to get her through their troublesome ordeal and even leading her to stay with him after it.

Despite not being aware of her true emotions, the pink hedgehog couldn't deny what she felt was strong affection and made no efforts to dismiss her beating heart. Love, she believed, wasn't something to be ignored and instead deserved to be nurtured— even when it came from the most unusual places. It had certainly caught her off guard but as confusing and strange as it was… the satisfaction it brought was mesmerizing.

Amy's eyes slowly opened as her thoughts and feelings stumbled upon an obstruction: she had already handed her heart out, long ago, to the blue blur. She was certain she loved Sonic… it was clear, wasn't it? He, more than anyone, had rescued her from danger. His irresistible charm could send her immediately to cloud nine. They had shared many adventures; he was her hero. Could she possibly love two with one heart?

The young girl was unable to answer her question and grew troubled. She didn't want to deny what she felt for the ebony hedgehog, but acknowledging her feelings made matters difficult. But more than anything, she was sure that her heart wouldn't lie to her! She was certain by 'the signs' that she was falling in love with the unlikely hero.

A sigh escaped her lips; it was becoming increasingly obvious to her that love was more complicated than she could imagine. Two individuals, different from one another, and yet sharing the same magnitude in her beating heart.

Amy Rose stood up and, to her dismay, came back to reality at the sound of footsteps down the hall. Her eyes moved to see who the visitor was and her already sensitive heart jumped at the sight of the blue hero that approached her.

"Hey, Ames!" greeted Sonic with a grin on his face. His emerald eyes and body pose reflecting his carefree personality and charm.

The rose girl's heart was being worked down to its core; the overload caused her to feel flustered and confused. The bright presence of the hedgehog before her caused her as much pleasure as turmoil. Trying to quickly piece herself back together she responded overtaken, "Sonic..."

"I was just coming here to see if Shadow was awake," said the blue hedgehog, oblivious to the conflict the girl felt. He continued, "I have something very important to tell him."

Amy nodded and stood still in front of him. He observed her curiously and scratched the back of his head. His emerald eyes carefully watched her, and he began to tap his foot nervously. He opened his mouth and tried to speak before shutting it again. She felt her heart work even harder at that moment; it had already been continuously beating faster than usual, without rest, since she had left the room. She gazed at the hero and she too grew nervous, not knowing what the blue hedgehog wanted to say.

The blue hero looked at the ground and then back up at the girl before trying to speak, "Um— Amy…"

This is it, she thought, a love confession! The long awaited confession from the one she had given her heart to long ago! Just on time, to stop her heart from beating for another! Although she had always waited for it, at that moment, he had caught her off guard. So many emotions in one day…! She wasn't sure if she was ready at that moment but she waited patiently for the male to speak.

"Could you please—" he continued nervously, his foot tapping faster on the floor.

'_Go on a date!'_ she completed his sentence in her head.

"Uh— Amy, you're blocking the door…" he finally said.

Surprised and embarrassed, the pink hedgehog grew red. It had certainly not been what she was thinking…! She hesitantly moved out of the way and watched Sonic go inside the room. His back to her… The romantic encounter, like many before, shattered in her mind. However, for the first time she was glad nothing had happened, for it would only add more confusion to her already overwhelmed heart.

* * *

_12: 25 pm – Unknown Location_

Shadow the Hedgehog skated across the land as a helicopter chased him rabidly through the woods. A shower of bullets rained down on him, but his fast reflexes and speed allowed him to dodge them without breaking a sweat. His eyes watched the aircraft carefully; the attack upon the arrival to his destination was unexpected. The ebony hedgehog narrowed his eyes, "It's time to end this chase once and for all." Without hesitating, the hedgehog sharply turned around and began to run towards the chopper. The bullets grew more accurate as he approached his enemies, but he never flinched. He picked up speed and powered up his legs before jumping into the air. He moved his hand in front of his body, getting ready to attack with a chaos spear, but stopped his attack once he caught a glimpse of a familiar white bat in the cabin.

Aboard the plane, with GUN soldiers, was Rouge giving commands and carefully examining the hedgehog as he headed towards them. Her blue eyes met with ruby red as the male hedgehog landed on the helicopter's hood. Only the bullet proof glass separated them. A grin spread across his face, "I thought it was you."

The bat woman opened the door of the chopper and jumped out into the air. She spread her wings and flew next to the aircraft as she approached Shadow in the hood. She pulled out a pair of glowing neon blue ring, capable of extending and capturing him, and aimed at the hedgehog.

The crimson and black hedgehog saw this and jumped off the hood; the handcuffs barely missing him. He curled up in a ball and then landed safely on the floor. He turned around to see the aircraft pass him by and the bat fall behind, heading towards him. The woman landed on the floor in front of him and assumed a fighting pose, "It's time you give up Shadow!"

Behind the two old allies, the GUN chopper landed. Soldiers ran out of the aircraft and surrounded the black hedgehog. He took a battle stance and prepared to fight the woman before him. He narrowed his eyes as a response to the sight before him and said, "I should have known you'd betray me…"

"I will turn you in," she said as she ran towards him, "and obtain my reward!"

Shadow jumped in the air to dodge the attack, but the bat saw through this and jumped after him. She extended her wings, trying to take advantage of the wind to catch him on the air. However, he pulled out his chaos emerald and warped back to the floor before he was able to catch her. A malicious grin spread across his face, knowing he had the advantage over her, but it was soon erased when he felt the floor underneath him move, "What the-?"

"Perfect!" said the white bat as she headed down to the floor and saw her trap capture her target. The ebony hedgehog was now at her mercy; he was trapped by a crystal box the moment he landed on the ground. "I knew you would be warping around… so I decided to lure you into a trap."

The dark hedgehog still held the red chaos emerald firmly in his hand and prepared to warp out of the box. However, nothing happened once he harnessed the power of the emerald. He remained inside in the crystal box and watched as a grin spread across the bat's face.

Rouge walked towards the box, "This box is made from a special material that neutralizes the power of the chaos emeralds… especially designed by Doctor Eggman." The bat turned around and headed to the helicopter, "There's no way you can escape."

Shadow watched the woman walk away and give a signal for the GUN soldiers to approach the crystal box. He was then carried into the air as the soldiers headed inside the aircraft. Once inside, a screen lit up and displayed the image of the GUN Commander.

"Good job agent Rouge," his eyes watched the box with the dark hedgehog inside. "You will get your reward once you make it back safely to HQ."

"Yes, sir," the white bat responded before the screen turned off on its own.

Inside the box, the ebony hedgehog grinned, his eyes locked on Rouge. Their performance had been successful at convincing the Commander that she had captured Shadow. Without any mishaps, they were ready to go to the headquarters and carry on with their plan.

* * *

_Earlier 10:15 am - Tails' Workshop_

The morning breeze entered the room through the open window. The white sheets of the bed were placed to one side and the skates belonging to the Shadow, and the hedgehog himself, were missing from the small room.

Emerald eyes moved to the window and narrowed at the sight, "He's gone…!"

Outside the room, pink ears twitched at the sound of the words and Amy grew alarmed, "But he was just here!" She walked in the room and spotted the open window. "But where did he go?" she inquired running to the open window and looking outside, hoping to see him.

"To GUN's headquarters no doubt!" the blue hero clenched his fist and continued, "If he had only waited! He's heading right to a trap!"

"What?" the rose girl exclaimed, turning to see the male.

Sonic narrowed his eyes as he spoke, "Eggman is trying to capture Shadow and is most likely going to do it when he tries to go after GUN at the headquarters!"

"But what does Eggman want with Shadow?"

The blue hedgehog turned around and began to walk out of the room, "I don't know yet…" He turned around to see the pink girl, "In any case, we have to stop Eggman from capturing Shadow!"

Amy nodded and followed the blue hero out the room. Her thoughts traveled to the ebony hedgehog that had saved her life and the unexpected trouble that awaited him.

* * *

_1:45 pm – GUN Headquarters_

The smell of smoke filled the white room as wires were being connected to green chips with bits of melting metal. Doctor Robotnik carefully worked on his new creation, his specialized glasses never separating from it. After a few minutes, he backed away from the work-in-progress and moved to check the time on his wrist watch.

It had been close to three days since he had been captured, and although GUN soldiers regulated and limited the amount of metallic material he was allowed to have in the room at once, he had managed to make more with few. He had created various tools to aid him on the making of his new device. He truly was a genius, the egotistical man boasted in his head, for managing to work on his true doomsday device in limited quarters and with nothing more than piles of scrap.

Black specs moved down to the object before him to resume their work. Although cameras watched him carefully, the soldiers in charge of surveilling him knew very little about the projects he was supposed to be working on. The Doctor worked in the open, without a worry about anyone suspecting anything. And even in case anyone grew suspicious, he didn't really care… for he was going to escape soon from his cursed prison.

According to his calculations, he had enough time to finish working on the prototype for his ultimate weapon before Rouge and Shadow arrived at the headquarters. If everything had gone as planned, there was the probability that they might even arrive sooner than he anticipated! All in all, he expected perfection from his team! They were quite a pair, capable of many incredible tasks. It was a shame that he had to turn against such a formidable duo to achieve his true goal… capturing Shadow the Hedgehog.

The ebony hedgehog was essential for his current plan to build the Eggman Empire. After a year devoted to vigorous study of the chaos abilities displayed by the hedgehog, Doctor Eggman realized the potential of using such abilities to conquer the world! By merely watching his abilities, the crazed man had been able to build blueprints for a prototype capable of imitating Shadow's power… but to a much lesser degree. He knew that in order to make his device more potent he needed the hedgehog himself, to study the genetic components that made him so formidable.

In a year's time he developed a plan that would allow him to reach his goals. The first step was to build the prototype itself. In order to that, he had to infiltrate GUN's base and obtain a special military cloth-like material that made his device flexible and strong enough to handle the vast amounts of energy that was emitted by the chaos control. The second step was to capture Shadow to study his genetic make up and abilities to use chaos control to further develop device. And the third and final step was to put the components together and build a machine… some sort of robot, capable of using chaos control to take over the world. Knowing this, Doctor Eggman had manipulated the course of events from the very beginning. All in an effort to obtain the various pieces that were indispensable to his ultimate plan.

Doctor Ivo Robotnik, a mad scientist that dreamed of world conquest could see his plan coming together without any unforeseen problems. Stage one was complete, he thought as he finished the device before him. He took the cloth-like material and equipped himself with what he called '_The Chaos Control Glove'_, capable of manipulating time and space. He clenched his hand and his black specs shone with the light of the white room. One step down… two more to go! And the second was coming right to him…

* * *

_1:57 pm – GUN Headquarters_

The helicopter landed safely on a landing pad at the GUN headquarters. After coming to a complete stop, the platform where the aircraft stood began to descend, taking it underground. Lights turned on alongside the platform and the 'elevator' moved down faster until coming to a complete stop.

Rouge stood up and walked out of the chopper once the door opened; GUN soldiers with the crystal box and the black hedgehog followed closely behind. She stood in front of a door with a keypad and quickly entered the password that allowed the door to open.

The underground passage was cold and metallic. Bright lights illuminated the tunnel as the group walked down the quiet hall. The only sounds heard were the steps of the GUN agents as they headed down to a room with a single prison cell. The GUN soldiers placed the crystal box with Shadow on the floor of the cell and ran out before the white bat entered another code on a keypad that closed the cell with two electric barriers.

The bat woman observed the crimson and black hedgehog in the crystal box inside the prison and walked away. It was time for her to do her part of the job in order to allow him to escape from the cell and rescue Doctor Eggman. Although initially she was supposed to tell him the plan before she brought him to the headquarters, she did not count on the Commander sending his own men with her instead of the androids controlled by Eggman. That was the reason she was forced to ambush Shadow at the determined location. However, thankfully the hedgehog was smart enough to figure out that there had been a change of plans.

Rouge continued to walk down the hall and began to laugh quietly. The dark hedgehog was very creative and quite an actor. From the moment he saw the female inside the cabin of the helicopter he knew something had gone wrong. Trusting his instincts, he lost their fight on purpose and even allowed himself to be captured by the crystal box. He even gave her the idea to say that the box had the ability to neutralize chaos powers! He knew that there was nothing special about the trap and thought quickly to downplay their fight. By stopping his chaos powers on the spot, he hinted that he understood the situation, allowing her to improvise to decrease the wasted time.

The woman had to admit that the dark hedgehog was quite admirable. He had full control of his chaos abilities… In a way she could see why GUN saw him as a threat. Her rouged lips formed a frown at the thought and her determination to help her ally grew. Soon, she began to walk quickly down the main hall. Her heels clacked on contact with the metal floor as she continued to walk to her next destination.

Meanwhile, back at the cell, Shadow leaned back against one of the walls of the crystal box that contained him. He placed his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. His ruby eyes moved up to see the ceiling of the small jail, past the crystal container… "Capable of neutralizing chaos powers…" said the hedgehog out loud.

The black hedgehog closed his eyes and waited patiently inside the cell. The quiet atmosphere that he would usually welcome made him feel uneasy at that moment. He opened his eyes and turned to one side, expecting a pair of emerald eyes to be watching him like they had before at the cave or in the room at Tails' Workshop. Instead of vivid green, there was an empty corner of the cell… The company that the rose girl had brought during the chase seemed more gratifying than the silence that now made his acquaintance.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading chapter 6! Initially this chapter was supposed to be a lot longer... but I divided the idea into two separate chapters seeing as I ran out of time and I needed to update. There are certain parts of the chapter I liked, and certain parts I didn't (such as Sonic's dialogue and Amy's reaction). Overall, this chapter was mostly done to advance the plot line, although I threw in a bit of subtle romance from Shadow at the end.

I would like to receive more feedback and reviews for the story, especially this chapter and chapter 5. Please, if you read the story I would appreciate it if you can take a moment of your time and review. Any comments, suggestions, ideas, or simply an opinion over the chapter or the story overall are welcomed! As always, a special thanks for those who read the story and reviewed!

ALSO, a super special thanks to Jazzy B. Real who drew an amazing fan art based on chapter 5's battle aftermath scene. You can find the link to the fan art on my profile in the description of 'Current Stories- Don't Let Me Fall'; there you can also find information on the progress of a new ShadAmy story I'm currently writing titled _Carpe Diem_.

**Chapter 7 Preview: Betrayal**

Doctor Eggman carefully plotted every step that would lead to his ultimate plan and its success. With all the pieces in play like he had anticipated, will he succeed at capturing Shadow and conquering the world? Will the Sonic Heroes arrive on time?**  
**

_Until Next Time!_


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